The Stomach Bender
by Dr. Bross
Summary: On her first visit to Ba Sing Se, Reina of the Kyoshi Warriors clashes with criminals and stumbles upon a revenge plot involving someone close to Fire Lord Zuko . . .
1. Reina of the Kyoshi Warriors

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 1: Reina of the Kyoshi Warriors

I used to think the Unagi back home was big. The capital of the Earth Kingdom was larger by far. Ba Sing Se was gargantuan. A Kyoshi Warrior was supposed to be aware of her surroundings at all times, but this was ridiculous. Even the so called average marketplace of the middle ring was larger than my village on Kyoshi Island. Rows of stalls ran back and forth as far as I could see selling all kinds of things. Merchants and the people of the city talked and yelled and carried on without giving it a second thought. The only thing that turned their heads was my uniform. Younger children were curious about my face paint while the older ones were only interested in my weapons. A pickpocket on the train tried to steal my war fans and a few merchants kept offering to buy my sword. I practically had to lecture each and every one of them. After awhile it started to make sense. These people had seen Ba Sing Se all their life, but not many had seen a Kyoshi Warrior before. Nearly all of them didn't even know where Kyoshi Island was- or cared. Every conversation turned into a string of questions. I probably would have been overwhelmed if not for Ty Lee, who was doing her best to show me around the city. She knew it fairly well since she had helped Princess Azula conquer it for the Fire Nation during the war. That was a long story, but we were friends now and that knowledge was coming in handy. She knew the right streets, the right trains and the right places so we didn't get lost or end up in the wrong part of town. Ba Sing Se did everything big and I would hate to see the kind of thugs they had around here.

"What do you think, Reina?" Ty Lee asked with a bright smile.

"Didn't we just visit a market?" I asked.

"Oh no, this is way better. They have the best outfits, you gotta see them. The last time I was here I found a great outfit for Mai."

"What? Stealing my uniform wasn't good enough for her?"

She laughed. "Yeah, she really hated wearing it."

Ty Lee was the most positive person I've ever met. The first few weeks she joined the Kyoshi Warriors she seemed incapable of frowning. I thought her perky attitude was a little nauseating at first. Then I got to know her better and it was a great source of motivation. More than I thought it would be. It would take something like the end of the world to get her down, and I'm sure even then she could find something to be optimistic about. She tried to explain it to me one day. It had something to do with auras and the color pink . . . but I didn't really get it. To think only last year we had been enemies and she was able to beat us without breaking a sweat. I'm just glad she's on our side.

"Okay, let's see it. Then we should probably be getting back soon," I said.

We moved from stall to stall. There were a million types of everything. Fruit, vegetables, pots, tea kettles, flowers, bread- even water. By the next row I was sure they were making stuff up. The world was simpler outside the walls but I was trying to adapt the best I could. On Kyoshi Island we had one street. Everything we needed was in walking distance. Here, the choices were paralyzing. The merchants were helpful and answered my questions, most of the time. But while Ty Lee and I looked around a crowd of children started to follow us. Unsurprisingly, they were full of questions.

"What's your name?" A young boy with three teeth asked me.

"Reina," I said. "My name is Reina."

Ty Lee quickly joined in with the usual enthusiasm and introduced herself.

"What'cha doing here?" Another boy asked.

"We're here with the other Kyoshi Warriors to help rebuild the Earth Kingdom starting with Ba Sing Se."

A taller girl who was sucking her thumb pushed forward.

"Are you the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors?"

I smiled. "No, our leader is Suki. Ty Lee and I are just two of them."

One boy with a face smudged in dirt started to talk so fast we could barely understand him.

"I heard that, my mom said, that you're here because the Dai Li were banished and because they were banished that people aren't afraid of breaking the law anymore." He paused to catch his breath. "Your uniforms are pretty."

To be honest Ty Lee and I didn't know everything. Suki told us we had a special mission waiting in Ba Sing Se but couldn't tell us more yet. It could be anything from providing security for the royal palace to patrolling the lower ring. We had become slightly better known thanks to Suki's reputation during the war but there were still plenty of people who thought the Kyoshi Warriors were nothing more than little girls who pretended to be warriors. It was hard to say if we were going to be taken seriously or treated as a joke. As soon as Suki got the letter she was waiting on we would all know for sure. Until then it was a waiting game. A lot was going on in the world since the war had ended. I hated standing around. Luckily Ty Lee was willing to show me around the city. It was all I could do in the meantime.

"How long are you going to be here?" The fast talking boy asked before launching into more questions.

"As long as it takes or until we're needed somewhere else I suppose."

The questions stopped as the children eventually lost interest or were pried away by apologetic parents. We were able to get back to exploring the market although I felt like Ty Lee could have gone all day talking with anyone. The circus performer side of her was showing.

"We should be getting back," I said as we passed a stall selling paint supplies.

"Oh c'mon. It's not too late."

"Suki told us to be back before the sun went down. The trains don't exactly run on time around here."

"We could probably make it back faster if we took the rooftops." Ty Lee thought aloud.

"Yeah, unfortunately I'm not a star acrobat. I mean, I'm good but . . ."

"What are you talking about? You're just as good as me."

I crossed my arms and stared at her. She made jumps that would make birds faint. Not many could keep up with her once she got flipping around and sailing through the air. Her moves made the other girls dizzy at times, especially Aoi. Sometimes she got carried away. It didn't help in battle sometimes, but it was impressive to watch.

"Okay, fine. Can I take a quick look at the fabric store before we go?"

"Sure." I smiled. "You've been a great tour guide. I'll wait right here."

"Thanks Reina!"

She ran off while I picked a spot out of the way and watched the crowds go by. The more I looked the more I realized how many thousands of people lived in Ba Sing Se. Probably more than that. I watched a man trying to cross the street when another man ran into him. It was actually a thief in a straw hat with impressively fast hands. He knocked his victim to the ground and picked his pockets at the same time without missing a beat. No one else in the market place seemed to care. The poor man who was robbed sat up and started to yell in anger. The thief in the hat walked away as if nothing had happened.

"Hey!" I yelled.

A merchant behind me laughed as I went after the thief. "Looks like Lefty's back to his old tricks!"

The thief casually looked over his shoulder as if I was yelling at someone else. But when he saw me coming after him the chase was on. His legs were just as fast as his hands. I followed him through crowds of people as he tried to turn them into obstacle courses. He stayed away from open streets and darted through every alleyway we came across. The middle ring turned into a blur. I followed him through odd shortcuts and spontaneous decisions to use stacks of barrels as stairs to jump a supply cart. Every move he made I matched him. He didn't run down steps, he flew. But he didn't have fancy enough footwork to lose me. I had run tougher courses on Kyoshi Island. And the longer the chase dragged on, the more exhausted he became. We darted down a narrow backstreet with houses so close together they nearly blotted out the light. I could hear him wheezing. He tried to use the dark streets as a maze to lose me. I turned a corner to see him disappearing around the next one. The chase finally ended as I followed him to a deserted street that split off three ways. He limped to the middle of the road and doubled over trying to catch his breath.

"Stop!"

Amazingly he listened to me and turned around with sweat pouring from under his hat. I thought he would run until his legs couldn't carry him anymore.

"Are you going to give that man back his money? Or do I need to drag you all the way back to the market?"

A terrible feeling washed over me. I didn't know where I was. Nothing looked familiar. I was lost somewhere in a dark corner of the middle ring. The houses were spacious but considerably more run down. The streets were probably abandoned for a good reason. The thief must have realized this too. He adjusted his hat and smirked before tossing the money at my feet. He whistled loudly and limped off. A crowd moved in to block off the three ends of the street. Men and women in rugged clothing formed a wall of people and moved in. Above me there were a few watching from rooftops probably acting as spotters. Doors and windows began to slam shut from the people who knew what was going on and were determined to stay out of it. In the blink of an eye I was alone and completely surrounded. I put a hand on my sword but didn't draw it. The crowd kept their distance. They weren't armed, not even with crude weapons like rocks or wood. Of course if they were Earthbenders that didn't matter. It was unnerving that none of them said anything, not even a taunt or a whistle. Most of them leered at me and made themselves comfortable as if they were waiting for a show to start. I was the center attraction.

"What do you want?" I asked.

Someone called out ahead of me and the mob parted down the middle. A monstrous man stepped forward and entered the closed off street. I had to look up at him to see his face clearly. He was twice my size and all muscle. He was mostly bald except for a tuft of black hair sticking out from under the fancy green hat on his head. The vest he wore looked small on him and the pants and sandals were well worn. I felt like I was facing down a Platypus Bear instead of a man. And for some reason he had a pair of chains hanging over his shoulder. My bad feeling only got worse when I saw the grin on his face.

"Hey," the giant man said. "I'm Nohi. Some people call me the Knuckleduster."

"Nohi . . . the Knuckleduster?" I repeated.

"Yeah, you got it."

My mouth hung open. He took a step closer and took the chains off his shoulder.

"What do you want?"

The man the size of a mountain wrapped the chains around his fists. He punched the air a few times before pounding his steel wrapped knuckles together to make a metallic clinking sound. I drew my sword and backed away, keeping in mind the mob surrounding me. I had nowhere to run. I would have to climb out or escape through someone's house. Both seemed really unlikely.

"I want to fight," Nohi said with a smile.

" . . . fight?"

"Yeah, you got it."

It was a terrible thought. Usually size didn't intimidate me. It was the skill the ultimately proved how tough someone was. The day I fought Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai made that clearer than ever. They appeared to be three girls from the Fire Nation. But they were good enough to beat us, the Kyoshi Warriors, without so much as batting an eye. The problem with Nohi was something I couldn't put my finger on. The chains around his fists didn't help and his grin . . . his big dumb grin. He was asking to get hit in the face. I would have to launch from a running jump or catapult off something to get a good swing in.

"I'm not here to put on a show." I told him.

"You don't get it. I'm not asking you."

"No," I said firmly.

Everyone but Nohi laughed. He dropped his hands at his side and started to pace around me. I moved with him and soon we were circling each other. I kept looking for escape routes. Maybe if I used someone in the crowd as a springboard to safety. That's what Suki or Ty Lee would do. I just had to hope I wouldn't miss a step when it counted.

"Why me?" I asked, trying to buy time.

"It's nothing personal. I hear the Kyoshi Warriors are in town. A bunch of girls who fight like a Shirshu, fast and mean." He pounded his fists together. "Some say you're here to clean up the streets. I want to know what I'm up against."

"I don't know what you're talking about. You've heard wrong."

"I know! I don't really know anything. That's why I'm here to find out. Some things you gotta see for yourself," he said.

My body tensed up. Nothing good was going to come out of this.

"You gonna show me what you really are?" He pointed at me.

"What's that?"

"You a girl or a warrior?"

"I've heard that one before. It's not very original." I told him.

"Humph. That's what I get for borrowing other people's material."

Time was up. Nohi leapt forward with the kind of speed that shouldn't be possible for a man his size and pounded the ground with both of his fists. I rolled away and unfolded my shield. The chains wrapped around his knuckles made sense now. They turned his fists into face grinding punching weapons. His nickname, the Knuckleduster, was suddenly very clear. He moved in close and swung away. I tried to block with my shield and deflect with my sword but that was a bad idea. Each punch was like a landslide coming down on me. I blocked three of his punches and my arms ached. He cocked back for a straight punch and I attacked with my sword. Sparks flew as he blocked with his chains. It had to hurt punching with those things on. Every impact put metal mashing up against his skin. I thought he couldn't keep it up, but he did. Before I realized absorbing his blows was useless, I was on my knees as he hammered away at me. He went back for a wide swing and I dove forward under him to safety. My shield was useless so I folded it back up. I had to stay out of his way or else. He had way too much strength to go toe to toe with him. He didn't have a fighting style, he had crazy.

He kept his feet moving as he stepped into a straight punch aimed right at my head. I felt his fist brush up against my hair as I ducked and moved in with my sword. I slashed a part of his vest as he jumped away. The sound of fabric ripping only made him smile and he countered by kicking up a cloud of dust and charging through it with his shoulder out. I tried to dodge to the side and met one of his arms lashing out wildly. I took the hit and lost my sword in the process. It slid to the edge of the mob where it was snatched up and tossed away. They took my sword! I stared in shock and Nohi almost kicked me. Somehow I rolled and jumped up before he smashed the ground again with both his fists.

"What's wrong?" he said.

"My sword," I could help but say.

I brought out my war fans. He tried to fake me out and bobbed his head. Every time I flinched he laughed at me. Then he bobbed once too many. I threw one of my fans and hit him right in the face. His head snapped backwards and he recoiled with a groan. I jumped in to strike only to realize that he was faking it. As soon as I got close he spun around and swatted me. If felt like a boulder hit me. I sailed across the street and almost slid head first into the side of a house. I stood up with my back against the wall and he was already looming over me. He started pounding away at the wall, punching as hard as he could. I moved my head out of the way as his fist left a huge dent. His other fist came in low and almost hit me in the side. I struck back hitting him in the arms and legs. Nothing happened. He didn't react. I rolled to safety before he could smash me and struck him in the back. Again, nothing. We moved away from the house as panic and despair started to cloud my thoughts. I couldn't hurt him. Even without my sword, fighting the crowd started to look better and better.

But right before I lost my nerve I saw it.

He grimaced as he moved his arms around. It was so slight I thought he was grinning, but his eye twitched and I knew it was pain. He was trying to hide it. The man was built like a Fire Nation tank, but even those things fell apart if you hit them enough in the right spots. Confidence returned and I could think clearly again. I just had to stay out of his way. Stay clear of his chain wrapped fists and attack until he couldn't take anymore.

"Is this good enough? Are you satisfied?" I asked.

He banged his fists together and gnashed his teeth. I tossed both my fans as his head and he managed to duck both of them. Again, the crowd stole my weapons and grabbed my fans as they started to fly back around. I wanted to scream. No! Not now! I scrambled to think up a new plan. Before I could do anything Nohi put his shoulder down and charged again. Against my better instincts I froze. A man the size of a mountain rushed right toward me and I did nothing. He crashed into me at full force and sent me flying. The world spun around and around until I landed on my side and rolled a few times. I tried to get up and kept falling onto my back. At any moment I expected two giant fists to come crashing down to finish me off. But as everything came back into focus, Nohi was circling me, waiting for me to get back up.

"C'mon. Back on your feet," he said, raising his fists.

Even before the fight started, I knew Nohi was the last person I wanted to fight without any weapons. But even unarmed, I wasn't defenseless. There was one last thing I could fall back on. Ty Lee's Chi Blocking attacks. Usually things were going badly if I had to rely on it. As much as I practiced I still couldn't do the stupid move. Sometimes it worked, but most of the time it didn't. Ty Lee was a master at it. She had used it against me when we were enemies. When she joined the Kyoshi Warriors she wanted to teach all of us. The idea was to move in quick and disable the opponent with a few expertly placed strikes. Even after all the training I was still rusty. She said I needed to be faster and more accurate, but I had all the power necessary to pull it off. Now I needed it more than ever. If I didn't stop Nohi he was going to crush me. I couldn't keep this up.

"Please, let this work." I muttered.

I went into the stance Ty Lee had shown me a million times. Nohi stepped in to pulverize me and I quickly dodged to the side striking his arm. He threw an uppercut with his left arm and missed. I jabbed away at his other arm and we jumped away. I missed, I could feel it. But against all odds Nohi tried to move his right arm and found it limp. He could still move his left but that was all I needed. With one arm he lost some of his ability to jump around like he did before. I stepped in to get his other arm, which he found hard to throw around with his other one blocked. This time I really did something wrong and he was still able to use it. I was almost clobbered in the face as I dodged to the side. A moment of panic set in. I fought it away and concentrated on taking out his other arm. But he had a surprise for me. When I was in front of him he came down on me with a vicious head butt. Like when my dad brought his hammer down on a nail with a full swing.

The pain was so horrible that tears welled up in my eyes.

The street was going away, noise bled into silence, and I fell forward. I was face first on the gravel street but I felt weightless. The world flashed from day to night. There was so much pain, I could hardly stand it . . . and the world came screaming back. The feeling in my legs returned as I stood up. Everything had changed. Nohi turned into a shape shifting mound of jelly. His blurry shadow split into doubles, then triples, and then fused back together to form one again. The world rippled like a pond. My head hurt more than I could explain. No matter how hard I shook it nothing cleared up. Everything turned into colorful shapes. I wanted to collapse but Nohi was still coming after me. I wasn't sure if I should attack. I wasn't sure if I could even hit anything. While I couldn't make him out, his steps shook the ground and his massive shadow came right at me.

Then everything stopped.

Nohi's gang erupted into shouting and started to scatter. One of them on the roof was yelling at the top of his lungs. It was a warning.

"Soldiers! Soldiers are on their way. Everyone scatter! Soldiers!"

I struggled to keep my focus on Nohi who was still in front of me. He turned to run but stopped and looked back at me. His fists pounded together with an awful metallic sound that made my spine shiver. He shook his head over and over and finally . . . he left. A relief swept over me that made my body tingly inside. The street cleared out as the soldiers ran in. I started to calm down and fell to my knees. My body hurt. I could hardly move. It only got worse when I tried to fight it and stand up. Finally I closed my eyes and gave in. And somewhere far away Ty Lee was calling my name as I fell down face first in the streets of Ba Sing Se . . .

-Next Chapter: The Jasmine Dragon


	2. The Jasmine Dragon

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 2: The Jasmine Dragon

I woke up in a warm comfortable bed. It was an incredible relief. I was back in the house reserved for me and the other Kyoshi Warriors when we arrived in Ba Sing Se. We were considered important guests and given a place in the upper ring. But I wasn't really worried about that. I wasn't sure how I got back. Then I remembered blacking out in the street and it made the pillow and sheets that much softer. Usually I didn't care so much for comfort. I could sleep in a tree if I had to. The fight with Nohi had given me a new appreciation for it. My body still ached but I felt much better. At least until I tried to sit up and pain exploded under my right arm. That giant thug had done more damage than I thought. I didn't remember getting hit there. I didn't remember a lot of what happened toward the end of the fight. Anything was possible. He might have punched me a few more times before running away. I kept trying to fight through the pain unsuccessfully until someone held me down and told me to relax. Ty Lee was sitting next to me.

"Reina, you're awake. You shouldn't move, you're really hurt." She told me.

"Ty Lee," I gasped. "My weapons, I lost them."

"No, it's okay. We found them, they're right here."

I turned my head to see my war fans and my sword sitting next to my bed. It was comforting to see none of those thugs stole my weapons. We were a long way from home and it wasn't like I could pick up new fans on the corner somewhere. Ba Sing Se was a big place, but I doubt it had that much stuff. I reached over to touch them and felt much better.

"Where am I? Are we at the house?"

She nodded. "You're safe."

It was strange to see her without a smile. The frown was out of place. She acted nervous and kept wringing her hands together.

"Reina, I'm so sorry I wasn't there," she blurted.

"Stop. It's my fault. I ran off on my own. I thought I could stop a mugging but, it was more than that."

"I know but . . . I was showing you the city."

"And you did a great job, Ty Lee."

A smile slowly returned to her face and things felt a little closer to normal.

"Please, help me sit up." I asked her. "I'm tired of lying down."

"Are you sure? The doctor who looked at you said you should be getting some rest."

"I was only knocked out, I'm fine."

She tapped her chin. "I don't know . . ."

"Ty Lee, please. I've taken worse beatings from your friend Mai."

Reluctantly she helped me sit up. I tried my hardest not to grunt in pain but that proved to be too hard. My side really hurt, but I was getting used to it. I was almost surprised I didn't hurt in more all over. So far the worst of it was a headache from Nohi's head butt and the pain under my arm. With a little time I could learn to deal with it.

"I guess someone found me in the street?" I muttered.

"Soldiers found you when they were moving in to break up a fight near the marketplace. I knew right away you had to be there." She explained. "Suki called a doctor as soon as they brought you back here."

"Thank you." I nodded.

"Don't mention it. Oh! I almost forgot."

Ty Lee turned to grab a flower pot with a single white flower and carefully handed it to me.

"The man who got robbed said you went after the thief. He bought you this, to say thanks. He wasn't sure what you liked so he got a flower just to be safe."

I looked it over in my hands. Flowers weren't really my type, but I appreciated the thought. A bird would have been better, but I wasn't complaining.

"Great." I smiled.

The other girls entered as I set the flower down. Aoi, Yuki and Chie were just as happy to see me awake as Ty Lee. They asked me the same questions about how I was feeling or if there was anything I needed. Truthfully I could care less about the pain, it would go away eventually. My problems were something medicine and care couldn't fix, but I didn't dare bring it up. I wasn't in the mood.

"They said you were in a fight?" Aoi asked.

"Yeah, I fought a mountain and lost." I grumbled.

"Suki's on her way. She's finishing up talking with a guard captain about what happened. Thought you should know. " Yuki told me.

"Thanks."

We talked a little longer before Suki came in. The other girls made space as she sat down next to me.

"Reina, it's good you're awake. Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'll survive. But . . . I'm sorry about this."

"About what?"

I didn't know how to put it. Ever since fighting Azula I was done with losing. I vowed never to be defeated again. Not because of my ego or something shallow like that, but for the dignity of the Kyoshi Warriors. So I wouldn't let Suki or the other girls down. Every defeat was a step back. The first time we met Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, he put it best. Until we could prove ourselves, people would think we were silly little girls with fans. I wanted to show all of them. For some reason that was too ambitious because a random thug picked a fight with me. The taste was bitter. If I thought about it for too long, everything turned sour.

"I'm sorry I didn't put up a better fight," I managed to say.

"Hey, you didn't go looking for that fight."

"I lost to a giant man who wraps chains around his fists and punches people. He's not exactly one of the great masters."

"The police call him the Knuckleduster." She explained. "He's a gang leader from the lower ring who harasses people. The only thing he looks forward to is picking fights and winning them. He's only gotten worse since the Dai Li were banished from the city."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's him."

"What did he want with you?"

"He wanted to see what the Kyoshi Warriors were capable of." I spat.

"You shouldn't take this so hard. Nohi went after Dai Li agents when they were still around. He's had practice."

"Wow, Dai Li agents." Ty Lee thought aloud.

"He's pretty brave," Chie said.

"Or stupid." Yuki added. "Remember those stories Sokka told us? They were supposed to be pretty dangerous Earthbenders."

"That's not what Toph said."

"Yeah I get it." I interrupted. "Nohi is tough. I guess I'm lucky."

I was tired of talking about him. The only thing he came after me with was his fists wrapped in chains. No bending, no style, nothing fancy. With all my training spent turning an enemies' force against them, he should have fallen like a rockslide. Instead I was almost buried.

"So what now?" I asked.

"You let us worry about that. Just get some rest in the meantime." Suki told me.

"What? I'm fine. I was only knocked out. I'm better now."

"I'm not asking you." Suki narrowed her eyes. "It's not like you to be so stubborn. The doctor said you needed rest. So I'm telling you to rest."

As much as I didn't like it, I had never won an argument with Suki. That was one of the reasons why she was the leader. She was persistent like Ty Lee was perky. Reluctantly I nodded.

"Our letter came in and we have a meeting with the Council of Five. We'll be back soon."

"Actually, I'd like to stay with Reina if that's okay." Ty Lee offered.

"You don't have to do that," I told her.

"No, it's okay." Suki decided.

We said goodbye to the girls as they left for the meeting. Ty Lee nodded with a bright smile. I couldn't help but sigh. It wasn't her; there were a lot of things going through my mind. I didn't want to be cooped up in a bed. I wanted to walk around and clear my head.

"What's wrong?" She picked up on my sour mood almost immediately.

"Chi Blocking. I still can't do that stupid move. For a second I thought I had it . . ."

"You just need to practice. When you get better we can spend some extra time on it. You'll get it, just like the other girls."

Her words of encouragement were nice, but I didn't feel any better. She came up with something else and snapped her fingers.

"I bet some tea would cheer you up!"

"I don't think we have any here," I said.

"That's okay! I know the best place in the city. That would get you out of bed for awhile. It's not far either!"

I should have known she was talking about the Jasmine Dragon. Suki told us about this place when she celebrated the end of the war with the Avatar and his friends. The Fire Lord's uncle owned it. The shop was his retirement. It was a big beautiful green building and since it was in the upper ring it was spared no expense. Greeters met us at the door. A long fancy carpet decorated with two dragons ran down the middle of the shop. Everything was clean and smelled wonderful. Tables filled the floor and orders were prepared at a kitchen in the back. I started to wonder how we were going to afford anything when a waiter approached us with a warm smile.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Friends of the Avatar are always welcome here, no charge." He explained.

"Neat. I like perks," Ty Lee said.

We were quickly seated at a table toward the middle of the room. The waiter handed us little menus and told us to take our time. The different kinds of tea were just as crazy as the variety in the marketplace. I was positive some of them had to be made up.

"What are you getting?" Ty Lee asked.

"Something simple, hopefully."

"I wonder if Zuko's uncle is here. It would be great to say hello."

"I don't know. I don't see-"

In the corner of my eye I noticed someone familiar sitting in the back. I stood up to make sure I wasn't going crazy and stared across the room. Everything came crashing down. It wasn't possible. Tucked away at the furthest table in the corner was Azula, enjoying a cup of tea all by herself. I rubbed my eyes and started to fear that Nohi had hit me harder than I thought. But no, it was her! She was right there dressed in royal robes with a team of Imperial Firebenders protecting her. Actually, they were watching her every move. No one was allowed anywhere near her. Waiters, customers, and everyone else were stopped and sent around another way. Even the tea brought to the table had to go through the guards who then set it on the table for Azula. The whole time, she sat there with the same smug look I remembered when she stole our uniforms. What was going on? How was this possible? It didn't make any sense. All my feelings and pain melted into rage.

"Reina, what's wrong?" Ty Lee stood up.

I was speechless, so I pointed for her. She peered across the room until she saw what I saw.

"Hey, it's Azula!" She realized what she said and quickly changed her tone. "Azula? I wonder what she's doing here."

I wasn't crazy. Without thinking I marched across the room while Ty Lee pulled on my arm in an attempt to stop me. I ignored all the pain in my side and stood as straight as I could. Before I got to Azula the Imperial Firebenders blocked the way and stopped me.

"What is she doing here?" I demanded. "What are you thinking? Are you crazy?"

Over the shoulders of the guards I noticed Azula turn her head. She spotted me and narrowed her eyes. A second later her smug smile returned and she took a sip of her tea.

"Azula has limited privileges. Interaction with her is strictly limited, as ordered by the Fire Lord." A female guard explained.

I refused to back off. "We're from the Kyoshi Warriors. We want to know what's going on."

"She's her to visit her uncle."

Ty Lee put a hand on my shoulder and stepped forward to give a try.

"Is it okay if we talk to her? We know Chi Blocking and besides," Ty Lee paused to gather the courage to add, "I'm a friend."

The Imperial Firebenders started to talk amongst themselves. I looked at Ty Lee who was trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. But she told me the story about the Boiling Rock. She went against Azula and got thrown in prison for it. She probably did want to say something, and at the same time she wanted to stay as far away as she could. I just wanted to know why Azula was in Ba Sing Se instead of a mental health facility. Stories of her insanity spread far and wide after the end of the war. It was so bad that not even Katara of the Water Tribe wanted to talk about it- and she was the one who beat Azula!

"Okay," the guards decided. "Sit at the other end of the table and keep your arms and weapons away from Azula at all times."

They let us into the small circle around the table. Ty Lee kept close to my side and plastered a nervous smile across her face. Azula, who was supposed to be crazy, folded her hands and smiled back.

"Well, if it isn't the Kyoshi Warriors. What brings you to Ba Sing Se?"

Everything that came out of her mouth was coated in the same insincere venom I remembered. Nothing she said could be trusted. Not one word. She looked at both of us and then stared at Ty Lee.

"Hi Azula. Nice to see you. Um, you look great." Ty Lee waved.

"Ty Lee?" She almost seemed taken aback. "I hardly recognize you in that ridiculous makeup. Don't tell me you're one of them now?"

"Yeah. Um . . . I wrote letters while you were away . . ."

"They didn't let me have mail at Ash Springs," she said flatly.

No one said anything for a long time.

"Why don't you sit down? It would be nice to have the company. And we have so much catching up to do." Azula gestured to the table.

Ty Lee sat down, but I couldn't do it. I was choking on the fact that they let her into Ba Sing Se after everything she did. Even as she invited me to her table, I was still trying to cough it up.

"Who's your quiet friend? It seemed like she had so much to say a few seconds ago." She asked.

"My name is Reina," I finally said. "We fought in the forest before you took us prisoner."

"Right, the Kyoshi Warriors." She sighed. "Forgive me; you all look the same in your matching face paint and your little fans."

I decided to sit at the table just to spite her. She hadn't changed one bit. Her appearance was a little different. Her hair looked longer, but it was probably because I wasn't used to seeing her not wearing a uniform. She was the same monster as ever.

"What are you doing here?" I spat.

"I'm sure the guards told you. I'm here to see my uncle. Unfortunately, he's away on a trip. He won't be back until tomorrow."

"You're a liar." I shook my head. "Everyone said you went crazy."

"Oh, haven't you heard? I'm doing much better." She remarked.

She smiled at me and took a sip of her tea. I wanted to reach across the table and smash the cup into her face. But I remembered what she was capable of. The guard's orders weren't for Azula's safety, but for everyone else in the room. I kept my hands and balled them into fists. It took more will than I thought not to launch across the room and kick her in the face.

"Have you heard from Mai lately?" Ty Lee tried her hardest to keep the conversation civil.

"We're not on speaking terms anymore. She still hasn't forgiven me for throwing both of you in prison."

"Aw, I'm sure that's not true."

"No, I have the letter. Would you like to see it?" Azula offered.

"Why aren't you rotting in a cell?" I cut in.

"You would have to ask my brother that. But if you ask me, it's because the Avatar has given him the idea that everyone has the potential for redemption. He wants me to get better, but he doesn't know if he can trust me. If he's learned anything, this is a test. But Zuzu probably doesn't deserve that much credit."

"Why do you humor him?"

She shrugged. "Look around, the world is changing. I can change too."

"I don't believe you."

She finished her tea and pushed it to the edge of the table. I stared at her, and she stared back with her gold eyes.

"You want me to be perfectly honest? My brother has failed at everything he has ever set out to do. He failed to face my father in an Agni Kai. He failed to hunt down and catch the Avatar. He failed to defeat me in an Agni Kai. He's brought nothing but shame on himself and his family! To think he can turn around and rule the Fire Nation, well . . ." She laughed. "I wouldn't miss that for the world."

The disgust was thick enough to choke on. I couldn't think of anything to say but I wanted to go at her. Could she have really gotten away with everything? Was Zuko that blind? For Kyoshi's sake, she tried to kill him over and over again! She almost did judging from what little Katara said about the end of the war.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" Azula asked with eager anticipation.

"I only wish I could have been there when Katara of the Water Tribe put you in your place."

Her smirk deflated into a glare. Her hands curled into fists and her lip began to quiver. Ty Lee grabbed my wrist under the table and squeezed hard. But I didn't care. I had hit a nerve and it showed. We were no longer welcome at her table.

"Actually, Reina, we should probably get going," Ty Lee said quickly. "Bye Azula! Nice to see you again!"

Before I could say anything Ty Lee dragged me away from the table and outside. I felt my senses come back to me. The day was ruined. We didn't even have any tea. I had lost my taste for everything. Azula was in Ba Sing Se. She was under guard but that didn't mean anything. She was her manipulative self. In a week she'd turn all of them to her side. In a month Ba Sing Se would probably be hers. It was beyond wrong, it was unthinkable. To think she had a whole city at her fingertips. It was too much. I stopped at the little fountain outside the Jasmine Dragon and felt like going back inside and doing something about it. Luckily Ty Lee was there to keep me grounded. She held onto me until I took a deep breath and calmed down. Both of us didn't know what to think. We looked at each other speechless for a long time.

"Well, she seems to be doing a lot better." Ty Lee thought aloud.

"We have to tell Suki." I realized.

"Yeah, good idea."

I wanted to run back but my side hurt too much. I limped as fast as I could with Ty Lee helping me along. Luckily when we got back to the house, Suki and the other girls had returned from the meeting. We rushed through the door and almost started talking at once.

"Whoa, calm down. What's going on?" Suki asked.

"Azula is here. She's in Ba Sing Se. We just saw her at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop!" I said.

Ty Lee nodded strongly. But against all my expectations, no one was surprised. Aoi, Chie, Yuki- no one reacted. Even Suki, who Azula had put through the most trouble, simply shook her head. That did it. Nohi had hit me so hard that nothing made sense anymore. I was ready to scream.

"Yeah . . . we know." Suki finally answered.

"What?" I didn't understand. "What do you mean you already know?"

"That's why we came to Ba Sing Se. Fire Lord Zuko wants us to watch her."

My mouth dropped open, and a terrible dread started to wash over me. Nohi was quickly becoming the highlight of my first trip to Ba Sing Se. Tomorrow would be unbelievable . . .

-Next Chapter: The Carriage Ride


	3. The Carriage Ride

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 3: The Carriage Ride

The next morning we relieved the Imperial Firebenders assigned to watch Azula. The place where they kept her was the estate set aside for guests from the Fire Nation. It was supposed to be used for Fire Lord Zuko when he made an official visit, but instead Azula had a whole mansion to herself in the upper ring. I had always imagined her home as a tiny fireproof prison cell where meals were slid under the door. Instead food was stocked in a kitchen she could use every day. To see her living the life in a city she probably planed to burn to the ground . . . it was disgusting. I found it impossible to listen to anyone. When the Imperial Firebenders showed us around the mansion and went over the measures to keep it secure and Azula under careful watch, I didn't hear any of it. All I could see was the comfy bed she got to use. The expansive dining room stocked with supplies from the Fire Nation. By the time our walk through got to the study I had seen enough. I had to go to the backyard to try and calm down. It was more like a small countryside with plenty of room to vent. Our village could have fit back there. But when I saw the pool I only got angrier. As much as I wished it to be some joke, I knew it wasn't. I was so mad at Suki. Mad at the girls. Mad at everyone. I started to feel a little better until Suki came out and sat next to me. I couldn't even look at her.

"Reina, we need to talk," she said.

I kept my eyes on the water. "You should have told us."

"I was. I just didn't know she arrived here early."

"This is wrong."

"I know we have a lot of history with-"

"I'm tired of Azula." I interrupted. "I'm tired of everything about her. Hasn't she done enough to this city? Hasn't she done enough to us? I mean, just when I thought we had seen the last of her. What are we even doing here?"

"We're here because Zuko asked for our help. He trusts us. We know what Azula is capable of and we've dealt with her before."

"Don't you mean she's dealt with us before?" I said coldly.

"Even if he wasn't a friend, this is a Fire Lord asking the Kyoshi Warriors for a favor."

"You don't have to remind me, Suki."

I wanted to look at her, to somehow show her how awful the situation was. Instead . . . I kept my eyes on the water.

"Why does it have to be his crazy sister?" I sighed.

"She's not crazy anymore. She's come to her senses."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

It was safer if she was crazy, because then she was only a danger to herself. To think she had her calm, calculating, manipulative mind back was terrible to think about. How many more lives did she have to shatter before enough was enough?

"Zuko has gone through a lot of trouble to help her get better. Right now, she's at a crossroads with her life. He believes she'll make the right choices. But at the same time . . . he knows the danger if she doesn't. That's why he asked us to stay with her for awhile."

To think Zuko had so much confidence in us should have been flattering, but this was different.

"Azula has beaten us all in a fight," I said. "She beat you, Suki."

"We've come a long way since then. Besides, we were also protecting Appa."

I laughed bitterly. "Is that an excuse?"

I had said too much but I wasn't sorry. I didn't know how to express how terrible this whole set up was. If Azula decided to go back to her old ways, could we really stop her? I was starting to doubt everything. Even Suki. Then she took a hold of my shoulder and turned me so we were eye to eye. The look on her face was serious and startling.

"What's wrong, Reina?" She demanded.

"This whole mission." I tried to look away.

"No, it's more than that."

What could be worse than Azula? I hated everything about her, from her smug smile to her blatant sense of superiority. To think someone like her could beat us! We fought to protect our home and protect others. She fought just to prove how much better she was than everyone else and didn't have the tiniest sense of decency to be graceful about it. It was a nightmare losing to her. It was worse when she stole our uniforms and sent us to prison. When she took Ba Sing Se and got back to the Fire Nation, she thanked us and said she couldn't have done it without us. I wanted to jump through the bars and strangle her. As crazy as it was, I didn't think I would get the stench of defeat out of my hair.

"When she captured us and sent us to prison," I began. "I thought that was it. The Kyoshi Warriors were finished. I was finished. I would never get home . . . I would never see my parents again. I would spend the rest of my days behind bars until I was an old woman."

"Why didn't you say anything before? That was the plan; we were going to help each other through it."

"They sent you to the Boiling Rock. I couldn't do that to them. Especially Aoi. She tried to hide it but she was really scared. I was afraid I would push her over the edge."

"We were all scared, Reina."

"It's funny. If it weren't for Ty Lee getting thrown in prison and getting to know her . . . I might have actually . . . lost it."

"No. You're stronger than that. I know, because Azula came apart and you didn't."

It made me smile. I hadn't thought about it that way before. The fact that I had beaten her in some small way was very satisfying.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said.

"We're always here for you, Reina." Suki added gently.

I nodded. "How long do we have to watch her?"

"A week or so. Zuko is coming to Ba Sing Se then. A few days later they'll go back to the Fire Nation and you won't have to see her again."

"I may not like it. But I won't let the other warriors down."

We stood up to head back inside the mansion.

"What are we doing with her today?" I had to ask.

"A carriage ride." She answered simply.

Out in front of the mansion was an ostrich horse drawn carriage. All of us were preparing to leave with Azula. We were taking her back to the Jasmine Dragon to see Iroh. She was telling the truth when I confronted her yesterday. Now, he was back in town and it was important that he met with her. I didn't understand it.

"Isn't it easier if he comes here?" I asked.

"You don't know my uncle," Azula cut in. "He prefers all serious discussions over a cup of tea."

I glared at her. I remembered the story Sokka told us about the ghost town where they actually cornered her, and she took a shot at her own family to escape.

"Didn't you try to kill him once?"

"It was nothing personal; he was the first to drop his guard. Besides, that was a long time ago. Uncle is very forgiving."

For once I believed her. It didn't make it any easier to stomach but it fit her style. Before I could say anything back Suki stepped in and pushed me away.

"Easy." She told me.

"Let's get this over with." I sighed.

I could have traded snide comments with Azula for the rest of the year, but the other girls were there to keep me focused. The carriage only seated six people comfortably, so someone had to sit with the driver up front. I didn't trust myself to ride in a small box with Azula so I jumped at the chance to sit up front. It was hard enough to sit at the same table as her. The driver seemed like a nice old man, even if he was missing a few teeth. He loved small talk and didn't care about any of my answers. I spent most of the ride listening to Ty Lee and Aoi talk about the upper ring. The only voice I really paid any attention to was Azula's, but she was quiet. The ride to the Jasmine Dragon was uneventful, and by the time we arrived I was ready to get off.

"I always wanted to come here," Yuki said, exiting the carriage.

"It's a really nice place." Ty Lee nodded.

Everyone headed toward the tea shop, but I stayed behind. Suki looked over her shoulder and turned to me.

"Reina?"

"I'll stay with the carriage . . ." I lowered my head.

"I will too." Aoi offered.

"That's a good idea. We'll be back soon." Suki nodded.

Aoi and I watched the carriage as everyone else went inside. The further away from Azula, the better I felt. And at least I wasn't alone. The driver didn't really count. He sat back in his seat and pulled his hat over his eyes to take a quick nap. Not that I missed chatting about nothing with him.

"Thanks, Aoi," I said.

"No problem. A little Azula goes a long way, I know." She paused to adjust her headdress. "I wonder how long we'll be here?"

"As long as it takes for Azula and her uncle to catch up I guess."

We watched the crowd to kill time. Ba Sing Se was constantly teaching me how big it was. None of the faces I saw yesterday looked the same. A few boys were even nice to look at. I started to relax and forget about Azula. This city was so big, I should have been enjoying the fact I was able to see it with my own eyes. But somewhere in the crowd I noticed a familiar face and had to look twice. I gripped my sword as a giant man with a big dumb grin emerged from the crowd.

"Nohi," I said.

Aoi turned and shook her head. "Who?"

It didn't take her much longer to notice him heading toward us. Nohi looked unchanged from the last time I saw him. His chains were nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean he wasn't hiding them somewhere. It helped that he was alone and his gang wasn't around to block off the street.

"That's him, Aoi. That's the guy who attacked me," I whispered to her.

We took a few steps away from the carriage and kept our hands close to our weapons. He pushed his way across the street, elbowing people and knocking them out of the way. He met us and crossed his arms.

"Ba Sing Se isn't as big as some people make it out to be. Imagine me running into you again, minding my own business." He laughed to himself.

"Yeah, right. Back off," I told him.

"Hey, take it easy. No one is stupid enough to start a fight in the upper ring, especially not me. You can relax."

"Around you? Not a chance. What do you want?"

Aoi inched closer to me.

"He's huge!" She whispered.

"What's wrong with your friend? What's she saying about me?" He demanded.

"What's wrong with you?" I fired back.

I drew my sword and held it at the ready. People on the street started to take notice and back off. Aoi kept her eyes on him, ready for anything. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I knew what he could do.

"I got a problem with people who don't take me seriously." He patted his chest. "People look at me and think I'm some animal who was too much muscle and not enough brains. If I had a piece of gold for everyone who underestimated me, I'd be richer than the Bei Fong family!"

"I didn't underestimate you!" I protested.

"Yeah, sure. And I bet you didn't expect to lose either."

My face burned and my chest felt heavy. Nohi kept talking.

"Every time I beat someone with a name I get a little closer to getting the respect I deserve. People call me the Knuckleduster because they think it's cute! Well, one day, when they say it, it'll be with admiration. I'll show you."

"Well, you want a rematch?" I took a big step in front of him. "Then let's go."

He looked down at me and then laughed in my face. I wanted to hit him so hard he'd never smile again. Maybe if Aoi wasn't with me I might have.

"No." He shook his head. "I've already proved a point to you. I'd rather take a swing at the rest of your friends, but not here. If you really want a rematch, you just come on down to the lower ring. Ask anyone about me. I'm ready any time."

It hurt to watch him walk away without the chance to shut him up. I knew what he was capable of now and I was pretty sure I could take him. I clutched my sword tightly and stared at the ground letting his words tear into me. All that was about respect? It wasn't about me? To prove he wasn't some random thug in Ba Sing Se? It was stupid. He was stupid. Someone like Nohi would never take down the Kyoshi Warriors. I wouldn't let him.

"Reina? Are you okay?" Aoi tapped my shoulder.

She tugged at my shoulder and snapped me out of my daze. My rage quickly turned into a headache and I felt tired.

"He makes me so mad," I said.

"I can't believe how big he is, he's like a-"

"A platypus bear, I know."

Aoi and I went back to the carriage and stood in silence. How did someone like Nohi even get into the upper ring? The city had probably been freed up more than I thought with the absence of the Dai Li. I tried not to think about him anymore as the others returned from the Jasmine Dragon. Azula looked the same. I suppose it was too much to hope that one conversation with her uncle would change her.

"Is everything alright?" Suki asked.

"Everything is fine." I lied.

I was lucky Aoi went along with me and simply nodded without another word. We were supposed to be watching the carriage and instead ended up talking with Nohi. That was a waste of time. Maybe that was the whole point. What was he really after? Everyone was about to climb into the carriage when I started to get a bad feeling. Aoi and I took our eyes off the carriage the whole time we talked to Nohi. It was enough of a distraction to make me think twice. I quickly looked over the carriage again. The wheels looked fine and the driver hadn't moved. I leaned down to look under it and noticed something stuck to the bottom.

"Wait!"

"What's wrong?" Yuki asked.

A small barrel was stuck under the carriage. There was a small wick sticking out of it, and it was burning. It was a bomb!

"Bomb!" I yelled.

The driver was the first one out. Everyone else followed and ran away from the carriage. I saw Chie grab Azula and practically drag her. I looked back to the bomb to see a little time left judging from the fuse. I tried to put it out but I couldn't reach it. I grabbed for the bomb instead. A thick, sticky substance kept it fused to the carriage. I got some on my hand but I couldn't get it loose.

"Reina! Get out of there!" Ty Lee yelled.

The fuse was shorter than my hand as I rolled away. The others had made it clear of the carriage and hid around the corner of a building. I didn't have that kind of time and dove into the small fountain in front of the Jasmine Dragon. The bomb went off and blew the carriage into pieces. What was left was dragged away by the frightened ostrich horse that had somehow survived. But the carriage was no more. A few pieces of burning wood plopped down on the street until it was overwhelmingly silent. Everyone came out from hiding with slow, hesitant steps. I climbed out of the fountain soaking wet, but alive.

"We were almost blown up. Excellent work," Azula mocked.

I was too shaken to deal with her.

"Well . . . that was close," Ty lee said.

"How'd a bomb get on the carriage?" Chie wondered aloud.

I hung my head and shook it back and forth.

"Nohi," I said. "He distracted me. I wasn't watching the carriage."

"He distracted both of us." Aoi added.

I bit my tongue. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't ignore him after what happened. But I should have kept my eyes on the carriage. A bomb didn't seem his style. Maybe someone took advantage of his distraction. That sounded too coincidental.

"The important thing is that we're all still alive," Suki said. "Is everyone alright?"

Everyone had made it out fine and sounded off.

"Who do you think that bomb was for?" Chie wondered aloud.

Everyone looked at Azula. She crossed her arms and turned away without saying anything. It was easy to imagine that bomb was meant for her. But she wasn't shaken at all. It was almost like she was disappointed. The bomb could have easily been for us.

"Let's go ask Nohi." Suki decided.

-Next Chapter: Coal the Cinder Lung


	4. Coal the Cinder Lung

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 4: Coal the Cinder Lung

We got Azula back to the mansion safely after we were almost blown up. By the way the police reacted the upper ring didn't see a lot of explosions. They asked us a lot of questions and rounded up people who were on the street before the bomb went off. I told them about Nohi, and they assured us they would get to him eventually. Suki didn't want to wait. We came up with a plan the next day. Three of us would stay and watch Azula while the rest of us would go after Nohi. Since I had actually fought him and knew what he was capable of, I went with Ty Lee and Suki to try and find him in the lower ring. It was no coincidence that he was there right before a bomb almost blew us up. He was a distraction while someone else went to work. It seemed like a leap for him to go from starting fights to blowing people up . . . but I was through underestimating him. If he wasn't responsible he knew who was. Someone wanted us out of the way either for Azula or some other reason. We took a train to the lower ring to find out. Truthfully, I didn't know what to feel. I wanted to face Nohi again but this was more than a street fight now. He had involved the other Kyoshi Warriors. Nothing was simple anymore.

Ty Lee, Suki and I stepped off the train at a station in the lower ring and looked out across the endless houses. They were packed together as close as they possibly could. There was hardly space for people to walk. To think we were trying to find one man . . . it was a little daunting. The sun was starting to go down.

"You know, the lower ring is bigger than I remember," Ty Lee said. "Where do we start?"

"Nohi said if we were looking for him we should just ask around. He'd find us." I explained.

"I don't like the idea of him finding us first." Suki decided.

"What about his favorite places?"

Suki pulled out a piece of paper.

"The police said there was a tavern he always hangs around. We should start there."

"Where's that?" I asked.

"The Blue Lantern. It shouldn't be far."

We tried to keep a low profile as we made our way through the streets . . . but there were a lot of people. It was impossible to tell who was in Nohi's gang or who was just trying to get through the day. The trick was not to lock eyes with strangers or anyone who looked like they were carrying a weapon. I didn't think the lower ring would seem so dangerous, but we were in Nohi's territory so it was definitely the wrong part of town. There were almost no police or soldiers as far as I could see. Luckily we reached the Blue Lantern without any trouble. It was far back in the lower ring, almost up against the outer wall.

"Quick, over here." Suki pointed.

The three of us ducked into an alley. Across the street was the Blue Lantern. It was a shabby looking tavern with two floors, plenty of broken windows and probably had a few holes in the roof. The people hanging around outside looked pretty unfriendly. I couldn't imagine a better place for someone like Nohi to hang out. The only currency that mattered was how hard you could throw a punch.

"I guess we wait now," I said.

It was night before Nohi finally showed up. I wanted to point him out to Ty Lee and Suki, but it was impossible to miss someone his size. They looked to me and I simply nodded. He went inside and was met with a chorus of shouting. Sounds of something shattering followed and it got quiet. We could hear him yelling.

"Everyone out! Get out! It's closing time! Out!" He ordered.

The crowd that was gathered inside and outside the Blue Lantern scattered in record time. I doubt even the bugs bothered to stick around. More things were knocked over and broken as people cleared out. When it was clear we snuck to the alley across the street and looked through one the windows. Nohi was drinking alone. His big dumb grin was replaced an angry frown.

"He looks like he's in a good mood," Suki whispered.

"That figures. Remember, he's faster than he looks." I turned to Ty Lee. "It's probably best if you get him in the arms first."

We checked one more time to see if it was clear and then jumped through the window. Ty Lee dashed over and jabbed Nohi in the arms with her Chi Blocking attack. He yelled in surprise and knocked over his tea and almost the table. Suki and I drew our fans and had him surrounded before he could even think of getting out of his chair.

"Wow, he is big!" Ty Lee noticed.

"Hello Nohi." I smiled.

"Hey! What'd you do to my arms!" He tried to move them unsuccessfully.

"Just making sure you keep them to yourself," Suki said.

"Great, just perfect." He spat.

"We catch you at a bad time? That's a shame," I said.

He tried to move his arms until he got really frustrated. Then he glared at Ty Lee.

"What are you looking at?"

"He's really big," Ty lee said again. "Like a . . . like a . . . a bear!"

Suki moved to the other side of Nohi's table and put her hands on her hips.

"We want to ask you a few questions."

"About your carriage blowing up huh? Yeah, I figured."

He looked around the room and seemed disappointed that there were only three of us.

"I thought there were more of you," he said.

"One of us is enough to deal with someone like you." I pointed.

He laughed and looked at me. "Funny, that's not how I remember it."

"Reina, easy." Suki told me.

"So." Nohi shifted in his chair. "You want to meet the guy who started the fireworks in the upper ring? Sure. He's been expecting you."

"What do you mean?"

"Coal! Coal! Get out here!" Nohi roared.

We turned to the back of the room toward the serving counter. A man dressed like a Fire Nation soldier came out of the kitchen and leapt the counter. It was just about everything I would expect from a firebender minus the helmet, probably because he ha d a fancy gold pipe in his mouth. He had a topknot and sideburns but his uniform was completely black. He looked at us slowly, and then took the pipe out of his mouth and slid it in his belt. That's when I noticed the satchel around his waist. It reminded me of all the stories we heard about Fire Nation Grenadiers during the war. They were good at fighting with bombs or anything that was explosive.

"C'mon, Cinder Lung. Get this over with. I'm tired of being bait!" Nohi smiled angrily.

"What?" Suki said confused.

"My name is Coal." The soldier corrected, clearly annoyed.

"Show them why they call you the Cinder Lung! C'mon!" Nohi continued to shout.

"Nohi, shut up! Or I'll take care of you too!"

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"It's not about what I want. It's about the job."

"Oh! Like a mercenary!" Ty Lee realized.

"And every mercenary has a boss." Suki added. "I don't suppose you want to tell us who."

"It's not in the contract." He smiled.

I was the closest one to Coal so I readied my sword and lunged at him. He moved into a fighting stance and brought his head back as if to breathe fire. I had my shield ready. But instead of fire, the flame quickly died and turned into a thick black cloud. Smoke poured from his mouth and flooded the room. It burned my eyes and hurt to breathe in. He easily disappeared into the haze as I coughed and rubbed my eyes. The smoke was warm and smelled like bad breath. The worst part was that it obscured everything. In no time at all the smokescreen coming out of Coal's mouth made it hard to see the hands in front of my face. I couldn't see Suki , Ty Lee or Nohi. Worst of all I couldn't see Coal. I switched my sword out for my fans and swiped the air. I couldn't believe I was using them in this fashion, but it was all I could think of. The smoke was endless and it didn't help at all.

"Reina? Are you okay?" I heard Suki call out.

"Suki? Where are you?"

I stopped in my tracks as a shadow appeared in the smoke. It wasn't big enough to be Nohi but it could have been anyone else, including Coal. I refused to blink even though my eyes stung badly. The shadow moved closer until it resembled a person.

"Ty Lee? Is that you?"

The shadow went into an unmistakable firebending stance and launched into an attack. A stream of fire cut through the smoke. I rolled out of the way and crashed into a table. Coal turned and quickly attacked again through the blinding haze. The table worked well as a shield and I hid behind it to avoid getting fried. By the time it was safe to jump out he had already moved. The smoke didn't seem to bother him at all. He disappeared in and out of it as if he could see through it. Really, he must have had a good memory of where everything was in the tavern.

"We need to get out of here!" Suki called out.

I crawled along the floor and followed her voice. Then Nohi tripped over me with his huge feet. We both yelled in surprise. While he crashed to the floor I rolled away as quickly as I could. The only thing I could hear was his moaning. The whole tavern was filled with smoke and now Nohi complaining about how he couldn't see anything. Suki was right; we had to get out of here. I found a wall and started searching for a door, window, or any crack large enough I could squeeze through. I would have given anything to be an airbender so I could just blow the smoke away. Something landed at my feet and I looked down to see a round object with sparks shooting off it. Oh no! Bombs! I kicked it away without thinking and blindly dove to the floor. Luckily I landed under a table. An explosion went off nearby and wood rained down all over the floor. Coal was crazy to throw bombs around in here!

"No! No bombs!" Nohi cried in panic. "Let me get out of here!"

"She didn't say I should keep you alive in the first place. Don't get in my way!" Coal whispered harshly.

She? Who did he mean? I held off worrying about it for the moment. He was trying to keep his voice down. Sound. That's how he fought in smoke like this. Eyes were useless anyway. I closed mine and concentrated on listening. I heard Nohi's feet stomping across the floor as he tried to escape. Then I heard Coal trying to step around lightly. Quietly, I searched the floor until I found a scrap of wood and chucked it across the room. He heard the noise and quickly turned around. It was him. I knew it. I crawled out of my hiding place and readied my fans. At the right moment, I kicked him in the leg and aimed to strike his face. But with the smoke I missed and hit him in the shoulder instead. It was all he needed to dive away to safety. Still, I surprised him and when he struck back, fireballs flew all over the place. I blocked with my shield and listened as he ran to the other side of the tavern. He became still and I carefully worked my way back over to him. Ty Lee jumped behind me and almost attacked me on accident. We saw each other just in time.

"Oh! Reina! I'm so sorry!" She gasped.

"You almost got me."

"I thought you were that Coal guy. It's really hard to see."

We were talking loud enough for him to hear us. I wanted to explain everything to Ty Lee but there was no time. I pushed her to the side and raised my shield as he attacked. He must have put everything he had into it. The blast of fire knocked me across the room. I crashed into the wall and hit my side that was still sore from the fight with Nohi. I tried not to make any noise, but it hurt too badly and I groaned loud enough that if anyone was outside they would have heard me. Coal found me immediately. He was about to attack when someone knocked him away and threw him to the floor. Suki burst out of the smoke and helped me to my feet. Ty Lee was right behind us and we found the entrance to finally escape the disorienting smog. On the street we could finally breathe again. The fresh air felt good but I didn't get to enjoy it. My side was really hurting. I kneeled in the street and wrapped my hands around it as if it would make me feel better.

"Reina's hurt!" Ty Lee pointed out.

"We have to get back to the train station. Can you make it?" Suki asked.

I nodded. "Just don't expect me put on an acrobatic show."

We didn't have a choice. If I couldn't make it, we'd be taking our chances with Coal's smoke breath and his bombs. I preferred not to deal with either one. Ty Lee helped me along as we moved as fast as we could down the streets of the lower ring. Behind us the tavern burned down with smoke pouring out of every little hole it had. Before we turned down another street, I looked and Coal was right behind us. He emerged from the smoke with a bomb in hand and saw us getting away. Suki took the fastest route to the train station. If we could make it there we would be a little safer. Coal would probably think twice about throwing bombs where guards hung around. But running made my side hurt worse. I tried to ignore it. I simply pushed myself harder. We were almost there when I couldn't go any further and fell down to rest.

"I'm sorry. It really hurts." I groaned.

"Don't worry. We're almost there."

"We can make it!" Ty Lee assured me.

Coal came sliding out of an alley behind us. He must have known a few shortcuts. There was a bomb in his hand, ready to go, and he tossed it at us without a second thought. We took cover behind a delivery cart parked on the side of the street and narrowly avoided the explosion.

"Okay. That's enough." I growled.

He pulled out another bomb and I was ready for it. The second he tossed it I darted out from behind the cart and dove forward. I caught it as I went into a roll and when I came out of it I threw it back. The pain afterward caused me to double over in agony, but it was worth it. He stared dumbly at the bomb coming at him and almost didn't run fast enough to get out of the blast. He made it . . . but just barely. The explosion sent him flying through the air and hit the side of someone's house. He almost went through the window. We took the chance to run the rest of the way to the train station.

"Nice throw!" Ty Lee smiled.

"Yeah, I bet he won't make that mistake again." I muttered.

We caught the last train back to the upper ring and sat quietly trying to figure out if we had made any ground by escaping Coal's ambush. We only had more questions instead of answers.

"Who do you think Coal was talking about when he said 'she'?" Ty Lee asked.

Suki shook her head. "I don't know. But obviously they're taking orders from someone."

"Azula," I said almost immediately.

They looked at me hard.

"Do you really think it's her?" Suki asked seriously.

I asked myself the same question. Was she really that good? I leaned forward in my seat and laughed. Of course she was that good. She was Azula. She could do anything. During the war she convinced the Dai Li to become her personal army. Talking a few criminals and mercenaries into helping her was probably one of the easiest things she's ever done. Maybe it was a warm up. Ty Lee and Suki talked some more, but I kept wondering how she did it. The Imperial Firebenders that watched her before could have made countless mistakes. The very thought that we were caught up in one of her plans was exhausting. If it was true, we wouldn't see it coming until it was too late.

The next morning we told the girls what happened in the lower ring. They were as thrilled as we were to find that Nohi the Knuckleduster and Coal the Cinder Lung were part of a larger scheme. I didn't bring up my idea that Azula was behind it. They were probably tired of hearing me complain about her anyway. But even though I couldn't prove it, I believed it. Without us Azula could do whatever she wanted. She could escape Ba Sing Se and disappear. Maybe she would go after her brother. There probably weren't a lot of things she could get away with now that Aang was a fully realized Avatar, but I knew that wouldn't stop her for a second. I had to figure out what she was up to before it was too late. After breakfast I went into the backyard where she was pacing around the pool. Ty Lee was with her, walking on her hands and doing slow flips as they talked. As soon as I headed toward them, Ty Lee broke off from the conversation and met me halfway.

"Hey Reina."

"I think it's my turn to watch the backyard." I lied.

"Um okay." She paused. "Are you going to be okay? Around Azula I mean."

"I'll be fine. And Aoi is right over there." I pointed.

It was enough to convince her and she slowly went inside. I took a deep breath and walked over to Azula.

"Did you enjoy your night out on the town?" She asked.

"Yeah, we met one of your firebender friends. A man named Coal. He breathes smoke instead of fire."

I watched for any signs of guilt. Her eyes were steady and cold.

"Yes, Ty Lee mentioned him. He sounds like a terrible failure." She smirked.

"What?"

"Why would any functioning army need a soldier spewing smoke on the field? Why waste time blinding the enemy when they should be destroying them?"

Her dismissive tone brought back all kinds of feelings when I first saw her. It was like we were back in the forest. I was tied up and she was going on about how pathetic it was we used fans to fight.

"I know he works for you." I told her.

"Why would I ever use someone who can't even firebend properly?" She almost seemed offended.

"Because . . . because you use whoever you can dig your nails into."

"I could do much better." She sighed. "I mean, if it was me. But you seemed convinced."

"I know it's you." I clenched my fists.

She smiled at me. If she winked or did anything else I would have hit her right across the face. I stared at her ready to explode. She seemed to revel in it and wasn't impressed in the least.

"I know you hate me. That much is obvious. The fact you keep showing me means only one thing," she said. "You're afraid. I can see it in your eyes. You know deep down that you could never beat me, at anything. All you can do is wallow in your own rage. Normally I enjoy dealing with someone like you, but right now, it's very tiring."

"I'm tiring?" I yelled.

Then she yawned and I lost it. I was prepared to pull out my fan so I could put it right through her smug face. But Aoi appeared next to me out of nowhere and I thought twice. I caught myself and realized I had walked right into it. Azula wanted me to hit her. Suki would never let me hear the end of it and the other girls would watch me just as much as they watched Azula. That kind of strain could ruin everything. I took a deep breath and tried to swallow my anger.

"Are you alright?" Aoi asked me.

"Fine," I said through my teeth.

I went back inside and felt like I could breathe again. I should have known better than confront Azula. She was too good for that. If Sokka could be believed, she could tell Toph a bold faced lie without breaking a sweat. To think I could talk her into confessing was stupid. No. I would have to be there when she finally made her move . . .

-Next Chapter: Fang the Stone Face


	5. Fang the Stone Face

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 5: Fang the Stone Face

Things actually slowed down after we fought Coal in the lower ring. Between what we told the police and the Blue Lantern burning to the ground, they stepped up their patrols and watched the people travelling between rings more closely. It was going to be hard for Coal and Nohi to get anywhere near the upper ring. It seemed like we were going to get through the week without fighting someone. Then a letter came for Azula after lunch. Suki gathered everyone in the living room, including Azula, and read it. It was from two people named Lo and Li. They had come all the way from the Fire Nation and wanted to meet Azula in the grand central train station in the middle ring.

"Who are they?" Chie wondered aloud.

Ty Lee jumped at the chance to explain. "They're two really nice, but really old, ladies. They're identical twins, like me!"

"Lo and Li have been advisors to the royal family for as long as I can remember." Azula added.

She almost seemed distant.

"Would they really come all the way from the Fire Nation to see you?" Suki asked.

"It's hard to tell." Azula quickly returned to her normal self. "Knowing my uncle, he could have convinced them to come here thinking it would help me."

"Yeah." Ty Lee agreed. "They've spent a lot of time teaching Azula firebending. It would be nice to see them again."

"I doubt it, considering I banished one of them toward the end of the war."

"I'm sure they didn't take it personally. After all, didn't you banish everyone?"

Azula glared at Ty Lee and both of them became quiet. They made it sound like Lo and Li weren't that bad. But I didn't like the idea. We'd have to go all the way to the middle ring to find them. Considering the kind of trouble we've had with gang leaders and mercenaries with explosives, countless things could go wrong. After all, why couldn't they just come here?

"Are we sure it's really them?" I said.

"You think it could be a trap set by Nohi or that firebender?" Aoi suggested.

No one knew. It could have been anything.

"Ty Lee," Suki spoke up. "You and I will go down to see if it's really them. The rest of you stay here and keep an eye out."

"What if it really is them?"

"We'll get a carriage and bring them back here. Until we know for sure, I don't want to take any chances."

"Be careful out there." Yuki told them.

It was hard to read Azula's face. I couldn't tell if she knew what was going on. Maybe she wondered what she would say to Lo and Li if they really had arrived. We would have to wait until Suki and Ty Lee got back. It would just be the four of us with her until then. Aoi and Yuki would watch Azula while Chie and I patrolled the grounds. I just hoped this would be over with soon.

I tried to keep busy, but after the sixth time of patrolling the whole mansion upstairs and downstairs it was getting a little tiring. Azula kept to her room with Aoi and Yuki right outside. There was nothing to worry about, but something felt off. I found myself in the kitchen looking over all the utensils and dishes. The large walk-in panty was closed and everything was clean. Nothing was out of order. It was the kind of place Chie loved. She could cook really well. I mean, we could all make food, but she was the standout. Her mother was known for some of the best food on Kyoshi Island. I meant to ask her if she was going to try and attempt any of her mother's cooking, but I had been so busy keeping my mind off Azula I had forgot. I started checking rooms to find her. She wasn't in her room or the dining area. Maybe she had gone upstairs. I went to ask Aoi and Yuki who were standing outside Azula's room at the top of the stairs.

"Have you seen Chie?"

"No, wasn't she downstairs with you?" Aoi asked.

A bad feeling started to grow in my stomach. It was like the first time I had seen Nohi.

"Something's wrong," I said. "Stay here, and don't let Azula out of your sight."

Yuki stopped me. "Reina, wait. What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm going to find out."

I went back downstairs and it was completely silent. The front door in the entrance hall was still locked. The door to the backyard was also secure. Chie wasn't outside so she had to be somewhere in the mansion, I could feel it. I started to retrace my steps until I was back in the kitchen. The pantry door moved a bit. There wasn't a reason to look inside before, but now . . . I grabbed the handle and took a deep breath before opening it. Chie fell out and tumbled to the floor.

"Chie? No! Chie?" I gasped.

To my relief she was only unconscious. Someone had knocked her out and stuffed her in the pantry. I jumped up to warn Aoi and Yuki but when I turned around there was a woman standing in the kitchen. She wore a long dark green robe and a wide brimmed hat that hid her face. The second I spotted her she attacked with Earthbending I've never seen before. Her hands were covered with what looked like rock gloves, and she launched one at my throat. It grabbed me before I could react and pinned me to the wall. The rocks around my throat tightened and I was fighting for every breath. I could barely speak.

"Which room is Azula in?" The woman asked.

She relaxed her hand and the rocks loosened around my throat. I could breathe again, but I was still in her clutches without any easy way out.

"Who are you?" I gasped.

The rocks tightened around my throat again to show me that she was the one asking questions.

"I have nothing against the Kyoshi Warriors. But if you don't answer my questions, I'm afraid you'll end up far worse than your friend on the floor."

She glanced to Chie who was still out cold. I reached for one of my fans and prepared to throw it at her. But she was faster with her Earthbending and launched her other rock glove to knock it out of the way. The rock glove around my throat started to squeeze. She moved closer and I could see her face. Her expression was cold. For some reason I remembered what her Earthbending reminded me of. The Dai Li. Was she one of them? It seemed impossible.

"Dai . . . Dai Li?" I struggled to say.

"Only formerly. The Dai Li is no more. I mention it only to tell you that, I don't have to follow procedures. I don't have to practice any restraint. We can have a nice talk, or I can bury you up to your neck where the wolfbats can pick at you."

With her voice and her stare, it was enough to scare me. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but she was chilling. And no matter how much I clawed at the stone glove I couldn't get it loose.

"You sent the letter." I realized.

She nodded. "If it came to it, I preferred not to fight all six of you at once. I know about your Chi Blocking attacks. Very troublesome. Now, which room is Azula in?"

I held on as long as I could. It was hard to breathe, and the room was getting darker by the moment. The Dai Li woman was fully prepared to hold me until I blacked out or worse. Before things got to that point, Chie came to my rescue. She woke up, saw what was happening, and hit the Dai Li woman with one of her fans. It was enough to knock her off balance. The rock glove loosened up and I could breathe again. The Dai Li woman quickly pulled her rock gloves back as Chie attacked her. I was free! I tried to catch my breath as fast as I could and stumbled after them as the fighting spilled into the dining room. Chie tried to get in close, but the Dai Li woman kept knocking her back with her stone gloves. As soon as she had the space, she jumped forward with a kick only to be intercepted by a rock pillar shooting out of the ground. It knocked her clear into the wall where she fell to the ground with a moan of pain.

"Chie!"

The Dai Li woman didn't waste any time and turned on me. She started firing off pieces of her stone glove like little darts. The small flying pieces of stone shredded parts of the table, a few chairs and ripped up the wall. I used my shield for cover and hid behind the table. When her gloves were finally gone after firing them off, she punched her hands into the ground and brought them back up with a new pair. I jumped up and slid across the table hoping I could reach her, but she raised a pillar of rock that knocked the table over and me along with it. I went tumbling into the wall and covered my face as the table flipped over onto me.

"Aoi! Yuki! If you can hear me, there's someone here! Stay with Azula!" I yelled.

I kicked the table off me in time to see more Dai Li Earthbending tricks. The woman skated along the ground as if it was ice. Stone shoes! She had stone shoes too. I suddenly wished I had paid more attention to Sokka going on about how he and the others fought off a whole group of Dai Li agents. We could have used their help. I went over to Chie to make sure she was alright and quickly chased after the woman. We ran into each other in the living room. She was expecting me and started to launch pieces of the floor at me. The stone tiles were nothing but ammunition to her. I pulled out my sword and fought forward slashing away when I could. When she ran out of tiles she switched to boulders that were too large to shrug off or chop through.

"Uh oh." I muttered.

Dodging rocks was all about how Earthbenders tossed them. The Dai Li woman liked to bounce them off the walls. I wasn't ready for it and almost got hit by the first rock. I rolled forward and prepared to dodge the next one. She quickly dropped what she was doing and attacked with her stone glove folded into a fist. I blocked it with my shield but it had enough force to knock me over backwards. Before I could get up someone else came running into the room. It was Aoi.

"Aoi! Get back to Azula!" I yelled at her.

She looked like she was going to say something but was almost clobbered with a boulder. She ducked out of the room almost as quickly as she had come in. The Dai Li woman turned to me and I knew exactly what was coming. She used her Earthbending to knock me straight up into the ceiling face first. Pain bounced around from my back to my face to my back again. It really hurt, but I was grateful that she didn't hit my side. There was still a lot of fight left in me, but I remained still and closed my eyes. The Dai Li woman didn't want to waste time with us. She wanted Azula. I pretended to be knocked out and waited. I heard her pause and then run past me probably to go after Aoi. When she was close enough I sat up and struck her right arm with Chi Blocking. I got her clean. She stumbled forward and the stone glove on her right arm fell to the floor. She couldn't bend with that arm anymore. If I knew it would actually work, I would have gone for her legs. My celebration was cut short as she used her other stone glove to reach out and grab me by the collar. She yanked me off the floor and threw me to the ground as hard as she could. This time she did hit me in my side and I screamed in agony. Pain rushed up and down my body.

"It seems you have a weak spot." The Dai Li woman realized.

I grit my teeth and prepared for the worst. The Dai Li woman prepared to punch me with her good arm. At the last second I rolled away and narrowly avoided getting pulverized by her stone fist. I fought through the pain and got back on my feet. It was hard to move around, but I had to stay off the ground. She slowly walked toward me knowing I wouldn't be able to run far.

"I see why Coal and Nohi had so much trouble with you in the lower ring," she said.

"What? You mean . . . you're the one they were talking about?" I pointed.

She said nothing and launched her stone glove at me. I ducked, expecting it to go for my face. Instead it hit my foot and pinned it to the floor. I pulled at it frantically. It had me trapped! I couldn't move. The Dai Li woman looked at me while I was helpless. She stomped the ground and brought out a large chunk of the floor and prepared to launch it at me. I raised my hands in front of my face even though it wasn't going to be able to stop a huge rock. Right then Suki and Ty Lee returned and came running in through the front door. Without thinking the Dai Li woman threw the rock at them instead and they were able to dodge it. After narrowly avoiding getting smashed they ran to my side.

"Reina are you alright?" Suki asked keeping her eyes on the Dai Li woman.

"Yeah, but Chie-"

"I'm right here."

I turned to see Chie stumble in from the dining room. Now it was the four of us against the Dai Li woman. She didn't like those odds and pulled back her rock glove. Suki and Ty Lee stayed close as she started to edge toward the back door.

"As I thought, you Kyoshi Warriors are too much trouble," she muttered.

"Why do you want Azula?" I demanded.

She said nothing. Not even a smile or a laugh. Her face was firm as she punched a hole in the ground and jumped into it. The hole closed back up and she was gone before we could make a move. Chie limped over to where the hole was sealed up and kicked the dirt on top of it.

"I hate dealing with Earthbenders," she said angrily.

The Dai Li woman didn't come back after she escaped. We spent the day trying to clean up and double checked everything. Luckily we had made it out okay. Chie almost broke her leg in the fight and the Dai Li woman found out where to hit me in order to do the most damage. I would have been worse off if Ty Lee and Suki didn't get back when they did. Obviously, Lo and Li weren't waiting at the train station. It was a diversion. Good thing it didn't work as well as the Dai Li woman hoped. When things were more or less back in order, we gathered in the dining room while Azula stayed in her room.

"Are you sure it was a Dai Li agent?" Suki asked.

"Didn't you see her? Stone gloves and stone shoes." I waved my hands around.

"Great. The Council of Five will love to hear that one of the Dai Li is back in the city."

"I don't get it," Aoi said. "I thought all the Dai Li were guys."

"Young talented Earthbenders," Azula said as she walked in. "That's all the Dai Li care about, at least when Long Feng was still in charge."

I glared at her. "You can't be here."

"I know. You don't trust me. That's fine. But this involves me as much as it does you."

"Yeah, someone's trying to help you escape," I said angrily.

Azula ignored me. "They'll be smarter next time if a Dai Li agent is any indication."

"Shut up!"

"Reina!" Suki yelled. "Enough."

I moved away from Azula and picked a corner of the room I could stand in.

"Anyway," Chie said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "That woman had the coldest expression I've ever seen."

"Her name is Fang," Azula said suddenly. "Fang the Stone Face."

"Wow, Azula. How do you know that?" Ty Lee asked.

"Well, the Dai Li were loyal to me for a time. A woman was rare in their ranks, but not unheard of. The one you described is Fang the Stone Face."

"I wonder why they called her that."

"Yeah, she didn't seem ugly enough." Chie mocked.

"Her superiors called her Stone Face because she showed a surprising lack of emotion when torturing enemies of the Dai Li. If you ask me, you're all very lucky." Azula smirked.

"Do you think she's behind all of this?" Suki sighed.

Azula laughed. "Fang is dangerous but she's no leader. Most likely she's taking orders from someone. I guess that's your job to find out."

After she left us with that comforting thought she went back to her room. Like always, she found some way to come out on top- even when it seemed she was helping us. It felt like everyone was coming after us. Two bit thugs, mercenaries and now a Dai Li agent. I wondered how much longer we could keep this up. Zuko wasn't going to arrive in Ba Sing Se for almost a week. It would only take one bad day for Azula to slip away, get kidnapped, or . . . whatever was going on. At the rate we were going it didn't look good. If something happened to the others I knew I would never forgive her . . .

-Next Chapter: Shen the Stomach Bender


	6. Shen the Stomach Bender

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 6: Shen the Stomach Bender

The next few days were tense after Fang paid us a visit. There was no telling who else was going to come after us. Maybe Nohi and Coal would try again. We didn't know. We didn't even know who was behind it all. If anyone knew it was Azula, but we couldn't touch her. We were supposed to watch and protect her. There was no escaping her. Every time we were in earshot of each other I tried my hardest not to make a scene. Ty Lee tried to cheer me up when she had the time and it helped, just not enough. The only thing that would make me happy was if Azula disappeared. Either that or somehow make her completely harmless. But I wasn't the Avatar and I didn't have that power. The only thing I could do to keep my temper under control was to go in the backyard and stare at the pool.

"Reina?"

I looked up from the water. It was Ty Lee.

"Are you feeling alright?" She asked.

"The sooner this is over, the better," I said.

I didn't want to sound bitter but I failed miserably.

"Reina, do you . . ." She was uneasy. "Do you really hate Azula that much?"

"Don't you? You said it yourself. She tried to kill Mai, and then she threw both of you in prison."

"Yeah but . . . things are different now. She's been through a lot. She's changed."

Somehow she said all of that with a straight face. She was completely serious.

"No she's not," I said. "She's still the same smug monster. I can't believe you were ever friends with her."

"She wasn't always like that." She protested.

"Yeah right." I scoffed.

"What about Zuko? I mean, he attacked Kyoshi Island. You're not angry at him."

"That's different," I said without thinking.

I tried to figure out how it was different. Zuko attacked my home during the war. He threatened my family and everyone else on the island because he was after the Avatar. Maybe it was because he was really sorry about the whole thing. At this coronation ceremony I could see in his eyes, the way he spoke, and how hard he tried to make up for those mistakes.

"That was a long time ago, he's different now."

"What about Azula?" She was careful with her tone. "Isn't she different?"

"No. She's nothing like Zuko. She doesn't care about anything. She's not sorry."

"She's trying really hard. But you won't give her a chance."

"I can't believe you're defending her!"

"You have to give her a chance, like you gave Zuko a chance!"

"Never!" I declared.

Ty Lee backed off but she didn't bounce back into her perky attitude. She actually looked . . . angry. We were done talking and she marched off without another word. Stupid Ty Lee. She's spent too much time worshipping the ground Azula walked on to know what he was talking about. I looked back at my reflection in the pool and suddenly hated it. The water no longer helped. I went back inside and was about to go back to my room when there was a knock at the door. It was a messenger with a letter. After the trick Fang pulled we had decided only take messages face to face. The messenger handed it to me anyway and left. I fully planned to toss it until I noticed it was addressed to me. The letter was for me.

"Who was at the door?"

I hid the letter as I turned around to find Suki coming down the stairs.

"A messenger, I sent him away."

"Oh, okay." She didn't move. "Reina, I know this has been really hard. But-"

"I know." I interrupted. "Things have been crazy around here, but I'm fine. Really. Zuko is coming in only a few more days right?"

She nodded and went back upstairs. I was alone in the entrance hall so I turned to the letter and opened it up.

_Dear Miss Reina,_

_You and the other Kyoshi Warriors have been through a lot lately. I know you've had problems with the Knuckleduster, a Fire Nation mercenary, and even a former Dai Li agent. If you want the situation to get better before it gets any worse, then we have something in common. We can help each other deal with a mutual problem. You know who I am talking about. If you are interested, meet me at the Great Crane Restaurant in the upper ring after the sun goes down. It's an open, safe public place. Together we can work something out before anything terrible happens to you or your friends._

_From Shen_

I took the letter to my room and read it over and over again. I didn't know anyone named Shen but he wanted something with Azula. He could have been anyone, but more importantly there was a chance I could find out what was going on. Even better, I might even find out a way to deal with Azula. I read the letter again and I knew I had to meet him. We were supposed to meet in an upper ring restaurant, and that was a lot safer than a train station. Against better judgment, I had to know.

The Great Crane wasn't a big restaurant, but it was fancier than the Jasmine Dragon. After the sun went down, I snuck out and it wasn't hard to find. I looked through the windows of the round building to see it was packed with people wearing expensive clothes. Everyone either worked there, or they were a noble in some way or another. I wasn't sure I was even going to get in. I walked up to the entrance and the head waiter looked me up and down with an amused expression. Then I mentioned Shen's name and he became much friendlier. He didn't realize that I was the young lady they were expecting and he brought me inside. The floor was packed with round tables, and almost everyone gawked at me as the head waiter escorted me across the room. I searched the crowd for any familiar faces, but they were all upper ring strangers. We eventually reached a table in the very back where a well dressed man sat alone. He stood up and bowed graciously as I walked up.

"You must be Miss Reina," he said.

"Yes. Are you Shen?"

He nodded. "Please, sit down."

Shen was odd. He looked like someone from the Water Tribes with his skin and blue eyes, but his clothes were clearly from Ba Sing Se. He wore a long finely tailored robe with all sorts of neat designs around the edges of the sleeves. His hair was even in the long braid most everyone wore in the city. But he kept his hands folded in his sleeves and out of sight. We sat down together as a waiter came over and brought Shen a drink. I wanted to say tea, or something fancier, but there was a straw sticking out of it. He didn't have to use his hands and simply leaned forward to drink from it.

"Forgive me, my dinner is coming soon. Would you like anything?" He smiled.

"No, I've already eaten."

"What about something to drink?"

"Water would be fine."

In no time at all, a waiter set a pitcher of water and a cup in front of me. It was nice cold water. The feeling was refreshing and I wanted to stay alert. I didn't know anything about Shen, but he knew plenty about me.

"I'm glad you decided to come. I thought you might like a meeting place with a lot of people," Shen said.

"What's this about?" I asked.

"Not much for small talk, I can't say I blame you."

He straightened up in his chair and lost his pleasant smile.

"We can help each other. Your job is to protect Princess Azula from the Fire Nation, and I want her." He explained.

I took a drink of water and looked at him carefully. It was hard to imagine why someone like Shen would want anything to do with someone like Azula. He continued.

"I know that you despise her. You hate pretending to care about her. And if you had the opportunity, you'd do whatever it took to get rid of her. I'm offering you that opportunity."

"How can you be sure about me?" I demanded.

"It's no great secret." He laughed. "Even if you didn't have a very public confrontation with her in the Jasmine Dragon, I have people who have been watching you and the other Kyoshi Warriors."

I lowered my head and stared at the table. The only time I talked to Azula is when I was full of bitterness and anger. I never thought I would care if someone else noticed but for some reason I felt bad admitting it.

"I don't even know who you are," I said.

"I'm a merchant. I trade things from all over the world. Ever since I moved to Ba Sing Se, I learned there's a market for everything. In just three years, I was living better than the chief where I grew up."

"So you are from one of the Water Tribes." I realized.

"Nothern Water Tribe, to be specific. But that was a long time ago."

"What do you want with Azula?"

"Does it really matter? The important thing is that you won't have to deal with her ever again."

"What if you set her free in the Fire Nation to start some revolt?"

It made him laugh. He leaned forward in his chair and looked at me hard.

"Does it look like I care about Fire Nation politics?"

"Then why?" I asked again.

"I'm afraid that's between me and Azula."

I wanted to just be happy that he was offering to take Azula away. But I couldn't help but wonder why he had put so much effort trying to get to her. It was beyond something simple like hating her because she was from the Fire Nation.

"Did you send Nohi and Coal after us? And that Dai Li woman?" I asked.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. I did. I have nothing against the Kyoshi Warriors. I only wanted Azula. Unfortunately, you were in the way and refused to stand aside. I'm very sorry about that."

The Knuckleduster. The Cinder Lung. The Stone Face. They all worked for Shen . . . this man from the Northern Water Tribe who became a successful merchant. He had the money and the opportunity. I didn't want to admit it, but it made more sense than Azula stringing together a private army somewhere between sulking in her room and pacing in the backyard.

"But don't worry about them. Think about finally being free of Azula. Once and for all."

"How?" I asked.

"Since you're a Kyoshi Warrior, I'm sure you could engineer a situation where Azula is away from the other warriors. My associates will take it from there. All they need is an opening."

As soon as he said it, I knew it was possible. The best time would be when Azula took her walk in the backyard. I could work out some excuse to get the girls to go inside long enough to hand her over. It would only take a good simple lie. They had no reason to suspect me, it would be easy. Suddenly I felt my chest drop as I realized what I had said. The water from the pitcher started to taste bad.

"I still want to know why you've gone through all this trouble," I said.

He thought for a minute and then brought his hands out of his sleeves and put them on the table. They were bandaged from the tips of his fingers up his arm as far as I could see. A few spots were red from soaking up blood. Both his hands were tightly wrapped and rigid.

"The wealth I've put together can fix many problems . . . but not my hands. They were badly burned during the war," he said in a low tone.

"Did she-?"

"No." He interrupted. "But she knows who did. Are you satisfied?"

I wasn't sure. I started to feel horrible for some reason. At the same time I was excited to have a chance to be rid of Azula. There was something about the idea that he would have a Kyoshi Warrior working for him. I would be in the same league as Nohi, Coal, and Fang.

"Think about it. Who would miss her? Who would blame you? And most importantly, how long do you think this peace will last with someone like her still around? The Avatar is powerful, but he can't be in every place at once."

Shen's words were nice to hear, but I knew the truth now. I was wrong about everything. All this time I still thought of Azula as her old self. She was invincible. She planned for everything. But here it was. She didn't have anything to do with it. I was so wrong. I didn't want to believe Azula, whether she was right or not. I was so focused on despising her that I was willing to do anything to get rid of her. Even betray all my friends. Suki, Ty Lee, Aoi, Chie, and Yuki . . . it was like the Kyoshi Warriors didn't matter. The way Zuko trusted us didn't matter. I only cared about what I wanted. When I finally realized I had come that far it made my stomach turn. My hands felt weak and my face burned. Tears formed in my eyes, but I didn't cry. That was too good for me. Azula might have done some horrible things but she wasn't forcing me to side with Shen. He stared at me with eager, expectant eyes and I knew I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't betray the others.

"I can't do it," I said. "I can't help you."

He shook his head and started to unwrap his bandages with his teeth. When his hands came loose I could see how badly they were burned, red and raw. It hurt him to move them the tiniest bit. His face became intense as he fought back any signs of pain. He wanted to cringe, but he wouldn't let himself.

"I thought you might not but I still wanted to try. That's why I had your water spiked with cactus juice. You might find it interesting to know that I own this place. I have a way with changing the menu from time to time."

His words sunk into me and I looked up in shock.

"You're welcome." He smiled.

"No. No." I stuttered. "I would have tasted it."

"And what do you think cactus juice tastes like?"

It was already affecting me. The room started to wobble and the table shimmered like it was made out of water. The pitcher of water wanted to be my friend and started to change colors. I had to get out of here before I completely lost it. Sokka had told us about the time he was lost in the desert and drank some cactus juice. He hallucinated for hours. As soon as the cactus juice caught up with me, I wouldn't be able to defend myself. I probably wouldn't be able to tell up from down. I tried to get out of my seat but stopped when I felt a terrible pain in my stomach. It got worse and worse until I could hardly think of anything else. I looked at Shen and he was waterbending with his hands, only . . . I didn't see any water. When his hands moved, pain shot through my stomach and it dawned on me. Was he bending my stomach!?

"The burns on my hands," he hissed. "It hurts to do anything with them. But I've learned to fight through it."

I clutched my stomach and desperately wished I was somewhere else. I had made a horrible mistake. Why did I come here? It hurt so much! So much pain!

"My tribe doesn't allow the use of waterbending this way . . . but they've never done me any favors. The only thing they ever did was call me the stomach bender. And banish me."

Finally he stopped, but I was still in agonizing pain. Shen called someone over. A man in a green robe and a small round hat came to my side. It was hard to make him out with the dinner plates dancing on the ceiling but I was sure it wasn't Nohi, Coal, or Fang. It was someone new.

"This is another one of my associates. His name is Tong." Shen explained "He was recently released from the Ash Springs Mental Health Facility against doctor's orders if you know what I mean. I don't think I have to explain to you why they call him the Tongue Cutter."

Between the pain and the cactus juice kicking in, Tong looked like a blurry shadow with hands shaped like teeth. I jumped out of my chair as he reached for me.

"Make sure our guest doesn't make it home tonight," Shen ordered.

I ran out of the restaurant. All the upper ring dinner guests had been replaced with animals. Turtle ducks ate with the saber-tooth moose lions. The platypus bears and the shirshus played with their food. Tables ate the chairs. I tried to navigate the madness the best I could and tripped over a singing flower. Quickly I jumped to my feet and climbed toward the exit. Tong was right behind me. I felt him grab my hair and pull me all the way back until I was falling into a delirious nightmare. I shouldn't have had so much water . . .

-Next Chapter: Fire Therapy


	7. Fire Therapy

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 7: Fire Therapy

I woke up in a warm comfortable bed. It was an incredible relief but oddly familiar. I was back in the mansion reserved for important guests from the Fire Nation. The other Kyoshi Warriors and I had moved there when we received the mission to watch Azula. But I wasn't really worried about that. I couldn't remember how I got there. The back of my mind felt scrambled. It had something to with a restaurant or . . . something. I tried to sit up and pain exploded in my stomach. The meeting with Shen was clear to me again. That waterbender had left me with plenty of pain. But I couldn't remember what happened after we were done talking. Anything was possible. He might have done more awful stomach bending. I kept trying to fight through the pain unsuccessfully until someone held me down. Azula was sitting next to me. She was dressed like a Kyoshi Warrior!

"How does it look?" She asked.

No! She wasn't one of us. It wasn't right at all.

"I figured since we're spending so much time together, I might as well join."

This wasn't right! She wasn't supposed to be here! The whole room was burning down. I had never seen so much fire before. I tried to pry her hands off me. We should have run for our lives, but she refused to move.

"Have you ever been to a Fire Nation funeral? We burn everything."

"Let go of me!" I yelled.

I had to fight off her smirk before I could fight off her hands. By the time I freed myself the room was almost gone. The fire lunged at me and tried to torch my uniform. There was no way out. I covered my eyes and prepared for the worst. I waited until I couldn't stand it anymore. When I opened my eyes the room and Azula was gone. I was safely outside but nothing had gotten better. I stood perfectly still and the world rushed past me. The streets of the upper ring were disappearing into a void filled with stars. My feet were planted firm but I couldn't stop no matter how hard I wished. My stomach started to churn in pain. A restaurant popped into my head and disappeared into a plume of smoke. I started to fall uncontrollably, tumbling over and over. There was nothing to grab onto. I slipped further and further until I landed on my back and came to a crashing stop. Everything was very still as I stood up and found darkness in every direction.

"Hello?" I called out.

Suki appeared in front of me without any kind of warning. I almost fell backwards with shock. Ty Lee, Chie, Yuki, and Aoi were next. They all kept their heads down as if it hurt to look at me.

"Reina, what are you doing?" Suki asked painfully.

"Why did you go out alone?" Ty Lee demanded.

Their voices all started to blend together and sounded the same. I couldn't tell who was talking anymore.

"Were you really going to betray us?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Don't you trust us?"

It hurt to listen to them. I mean, it actually hurt my ears. I fell to my knees. My head was pounding and it felt like it was going to come apart.

"I don't understand what's going on," I told myself. "This doesn't make any sense. This can't be real."

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I saw Azula standing over me with a sadistic smile. Her outfit was a complete mess and she looked unstable.

"If you ask me," she said. "You're having a terrible reaction to the cactus juice!"

She started laughing hysterically. It wasn't like her at all. I reached out for Suki and the other girls and my hands burst into fire. No matter what I did, I couldn't put them out. I couldn't even feel anything. Somehow the fire never spread, it clung to my hands and refused to let go. It kept changing colors . . . colors I've never seen in fire before. I couldn't get near the other girls without putting them in danger. A terrible feeling washed over me as I realized I had to stay with Azula. That was the truth, but I didn't want to believe it. I screamed for help.

"Someone! Please! My hands! Help me!"

Shen stepped out of the darkness with a wry smile. He held out his horribly burned hands and put them on display.

"Water?" He asked.

"No! Get away from me!"

I ran away as fast as I could. It was impossible to see where I was going in the darkness but I didn't care. I ran until I tripped on my own feet and somehow landed on a soft cushion. It took awhile for things to settle down, but I sat up and found myself on a sofa in a new room. It was decorated in red as if it belonged to the Fire Nation. There was a lonely table in the middle of the room and the walls were bare. In fact, there wasn't even a door or a hole in the floor or anything. The only way in and out of the room was a single window. Azula was guarding it. She sat in a chair while sipping tea comfortably.

"What are you doing?" My throat felt dry.

"I'm watching you lose your mind. It's not as amusing as I thought it would be. I think it has to do with the fact that I don't care about you in the least."

"Let me out of here." I demanded.

I felt so weak. I couldn't even stand up. It took all my energy just to move my head.

"But of course! Since you asked so nicely."

It sounded too good to be true. I held onto hope that she was telling the truth.

"Really?" I lifted my head.

"No. Not really. But you knew that."

I didn't have the strength to deal with this. Talking to her was impossible. I didn't have her manipulative instincts. I just wanted to get away from her.

"Actually, I will let you out. On one condition,"

She pointed at me. All her fingernails were sharpened like knives. They looked deadly enough to shred my weapons to pieces.

"I want to hear you say it." She ordered.

"What? Say what?"

That could have been anything. I couldn't spend the rest of the day guessing until she was happy. What if she changed it every time? We could be at this for the rest of my life. I didn't have time.

"I don't . . . I don't know what . . ." I held my pounding forehead.

She laughed at me. "You're a horrible liar. You're even worse than my brother. And that's saying something."

It was hard to focus on her. I knew she was right across the room but sometimes she looked like a smudge. The only thing I could keep track of was her voice.

"I don't . . . I don't know what you mean."

"Fine, be that way. I'm in no hurry."

I had to get out of this room. The walls were starting to peel so badly that it was easy to see the steel underneath. It was the metal Fire Nation prisons used. No, it was exactly the same. At any moment I expected to hear the guards gloating around my cell. They always talked about the same stories. The Avatar was dead. Ba Sing Se had been captured. The war would be over soon. We had lost. It felt real, but at the same time I knew it was a long time ago. I had to get out of here.

"Oh!" Azula spoke up. "I meant to tell you, I decided to burn down your village and everyone who lived there. Just for you."

Before I could call her a liar, I smelled smoke. The window shifted and I saw Kyoshi Island burning to the ground. The statue of Avatar Kyoshi that watched over the village was no more. There was nothing left but ashes raining from the sky. I found the strength to stand up and screamed in agony. I stumbled over to the window but only made it a few steps before I fell at Azula's feet.

"No . . . you . . . how could you?"

"Well, hating me is a full time job. You simply won't have room for anything else in your life. I decided to free up your schedule. You're welcome."

It wasn't real! It couldn't be!

"Oh? And your family? Your friends? Gone. Not like you cared about them anyway. You and I know a thing or two about stopping at nothing to get what we want. We see something and let it sink in deep until nothing matters. Not family. Not friends. Nothing."

Burned Kyoshi Warrior uniforms rained from the ceiling. I closed my eyes and wished I would wake up. But when I opened them I was still at Azula's feet. She was still smiling at me while everything slowly turned into ash. I grabbed the edge of her robe and climbed up until I could grab her collar.

"Stop! Stop it!" I cried.

"I might consider it as soon as I hear you say it. No promises."

"I don't- I don't know what you're talking about!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

She sipped her tea and looked around the room as if I wasn't desperately hanging from her robe. I tried to shake her, but she was immovable. I was too weak to do anything but waste the rest of my strength pleading with someone who didn't care.

"Let's see . . . what does that leave you with? Oh yes, me! Aren't you lucky?"

It was too much. I collapsed to the floor and held my face. I couldn't stop crying. I didn't want to cry in front of Azula. This was a nightmare.

"You're right," she said as if she could read my thoughts. "This is a nightmare. I am the Nightmare Lord. I am everything you fear. I am the worst person in the world. And I love every bit of it. I won't apologize for anything. Why should I? I am the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai! I've earned it! Who cares if I lost my mind? I'm still better than you'll ever be. That's not the truth; it's the law of nature!"

She got out of her chair and picked me up so we were face to face. Her terrible gold eyes tore into me.

"Say it!" She demanded.

"What!?" I whispered pitifully. "What do you want me to say?"

There was no way out of her grasp. There was no way out of the room. I was helpless. I couldn't even break her stare. I didn't even know what she was talking about. She tossed me to the floor with a frustrated sigh and sat back down in her chair.

"I've told you everything you want to hear. Everything you've ever thought about me. Doesn't it feel good to hear me admit it? Now, it's your turn. Say it!"

I sat up and suddenly realized what she was talking about. I suppose I always knew what she meant. But I didn't want to give her the courtesy. She was Azula. She didn't deserve anything. But . . . even with her biting sarcasm, her terrible eyes, her horrible voice . . .

"I was wrong," I said.

She put her hand to her ear and shook her head. I raised my voice.

"I was wrong about you. This whole time, I was sure you were behind everything. After all, how could I be wrong? You're Azula. You did terrible things during the war. And the worst of it . . ." I felt my strength returning. "The worst part was when you showed me how weak I really was. In prison, the only thing I looked forward to was the day I could watch you suffer."

Azula was no longer smiling. I no longer felt lightheaded. I felt good enough to get on my knees.

"I heard you went crazy and that was gratifying. But you wouldn't leave me alone. You showed up again right after I had lost to Nohi. It made losing to jerk like him ten times worse. It felt like the only reason you were in Ba Sing Se was so you could laugh at me."

She leaned back in her chair. "Right, because I love to pick on peasants like you."

The room was getting smaller and the window was getting larger. It was all strange and predictable at the same time. I felt good enough to get on my feet.

"I never considered that you were sent to Ba Sing Se because you really needed it. Everyone who might still care about you was there. Your uncle, Ty Lee . . ."

"Are you starting to feel sorry for me? Careful, you'll end up like my brother."

I shook my head.

"I don't know about your problems, or if you're really crazy or not. It's not my job to make you suffer. I forgot what I was fighting for." I felt like I could breathe again. "Avatar Kyoshi believed in justice. She wanted to protect people. That's what the Kyoshi Warriors stand for. If I have to hang around you for a few weeks to make sure you don't burn down Ba Sing Se, then it's worth it."

She gave me sarcastic applause. Each clap got louder and louder until my ears started to burn. The room was shaking. It was going to fall apart at any moment.

"You may go. But I'm curious. What are you going to do about the man wearing claws who's trying to kill you?"

I paused. "What?"

Suddenly I was no longer seeing things. I was in a dark alley with my head in a barrel of cold water. I quickly pulled my head out and gasped for air. My senses were slowly returning to normal but the world still bobbed from side to side as if it was floating on the ocean. My hallucinations of Azula were gone, along with any fear of all consuming fire. The water had brought me back into the real world. Now I had to deal with being completely lost in the back streets of the upper ring. I looked around and nothing seemed familiar. I didn't even remember how I had reached the alley in the first place. Everything was fuzzy as soon as I got out of the restaurant. Then I remembered Tong. I looked up and down the alley for any strange shadows moving about, but I was alone. Did I get away from him while I was crazy with cactus juice? My sense of balance was shaky and I almost fell down after taking a step forward. I sat down next to the barrel of water to rest and hoped it would come back soon. Since I dunked my head in water, my hair was messed up and I was cold. Still, it was better than taking my chances with Tong or Shen's stomach bending. Just thinking about it made me queasy.

I wrapped my arms around me to keep warm and continued to wait until the world was steady again. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone pass the alley. A long shadow loomed in the moonlight for a second and then disappeared. Then it came back as a man stood at the end of the alley. I remained still and held my breath. The unknown man craned his neck like he was looking for something. I sat in the shadows but I wasn't hiding behind anything. Whoever it was stood around for what felt like hours and then started down the alley. He came closer. I used the barrel to stand up and tried to make out who was coming. My heart started to race when I realized it was Tong; the man from the restaurant wearing a green robe and a small round hat. He had his head cocked to the side like the world was on a slant. He came closer and something on his hands glimmered in the moonlight. He was wearing claw weapons. They were hard to notice with his sleeves pulled down. Shen's words echoed in my head. Tong the Tongue Cutter. He was after me!

"Stay away," I said weakly.

Tong raised a finger to his mouth.

"Shhhhh," he said with a smile.

-Next Chapter: Tong the Tongue Cutter


	8. Tong the Tongue Cutter

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 8: Tong the Tongue Cutter

Tong moved steadily closer. He put his hands behind his back as if he had a big secret to share with me. I pulled out my sword and almost dropped it. The cactus juice was wearing off but not fast enough. Nothing felt right yet. My balance was shaky and I had trouble focusing on things. I slapped my face to try and recover faster. It didn't work.

"Do you really think you can fight me in your condition?" Tong asked.

"I know I can," I said defiantly.

He tilted his head to the other side and laughed softly.

"Really? Do random objects claim to be your friend? Is the world still spinning around you? Does the night sky look purple?"

The alley started to twist in impossible ways. I blinked a few times to make it return to normal. I just had to wait it out. The cactus juice would wear off eventually. It would be over soon.

"Don't come any closer." I warned.

"I know all about cactus juice. The doctors at Ash Springs gave it to me all the time because they thought it would help me with my problems."

"Shen called you the Tongue Cutter. I don't want to know about your problems."

My sword started to twist into a knot. I shook it a few times until it I remembered it was all in my head. The sword was fine. I wasn't.

"Put that away. You have a very pretty tongue." He paused. "I mean voice. You have a very pretty voice."

He laughed nervously and edged closer. For some reason I started to think about Sokka. He was such a liar. He told us a story about how he dragged himself through a desert after drinking cactus juice. It seemed impossible. I had a hard enough time walking on solid ground. Sometimes the world shifted abruptly and I felt like I was going to fall over. This wasn't going to work. I wasn't ready to put up a fight with anyone. I needed more time for the cactus juice to wear off. Unfortunately, Tong didn't want to wait and I didn't dare take my eyes off him.

"You can fight me while on cactus juice and lose badly. Or we can take a long walk together. Which one do you prefer?" He held his claws out.

"I'll take my chances."

"That's too bad."

I lunged at him with my sword. Effortlessly, he blocked with one of his claws and attacked with the other. I jumped backwards to avoid getting slashed and fell down. That was all the invitation he needed to try and jump on me with his claws ready. I rolled out of the way and heard tearing as he caught the edge of my kimono. It was a narrow miss. He put enough force into his attack to drive his claws into the ground. I got back on my feet and ran from the alley. Once I made it to the street I recognized I was somewhere in the shopping district not too far from the Great Crane. It wouldn't be hard to get back to the mansion except that Tong was right on my heels. He followed me at every turn, even as I stumbled from one side of the street to the other. Still, little by little, I was getting better. I just had to stay out of his clutches. Then at the next corner I lost my balance and crashed to the ground. He caught up instantly. I struggled to my feet and pointed my sword at him. A sane person would have kept their distance, but not him.

"Stay away from me!"

"Shhhhhhh." He smiled.

My balance came back as he moved in. I kicked him in the side of his leg and threw him to the ground. He landed on his back, rolled to the side and was on his feet before I knew what happened. We attacked each other without missing a beat. My sword clashed against his claws again and again until he found a new trick. He caught my sword with both his claws and tried to rip it out of my hands. I almost lost it before I wrenched it back. We pushed away from each other and I had just enough time to switch to my fans. He came at me again and we locked weapons. He couldn't get loose and I refused to let his claws wave around wildly. The fight turned into a frantic struggle. We tumbled to the ground and he kicked as much as he could to break free. Somewhere in the chaos he got me right in the side. The familiar pain rushed through my body and he started to overpower me. I used both my feet to push him aside and rolled to safety. It was a struggle to get back up. He had kicked me so hard that it hurt to stand up straight. All the strength I had gotten back after recovering from the cactus juice was gone. I ran down another street and looked for a place to hide. I was so angry at myself. Why did I try to wrestle with a crazy man? How did it make any sense at all?

I escaped down a narrow street and leaned up against a building to rest. My side continued to throb in pain. I only needed a few seconds for it go go away and I could keep fighting. But Tong didn't give me that time. He caught up and jumped right at me. I held off his claws, but he had enough momentum to send me reeling backwards and we crashed right through a window. Both of us landed in the middle of a circle of well dressed ladies reciting poetry. They shrieked in surprise and retreated to the edges of the room. A bouncer came in to break us up, but the second he saw Tong's claws he reconsidered and decided to stay out of it. I didn't want anyone caught in the middle so I quickly ran out the front door. Tong was right behind me and kicked with both his feet. It felt like a komodo rhino hit me right in the back. I hit the ground hard and nearly slid across the street. Strange to say, it actually felt good to hurt somewhere else. All the focus on my side drifted to somewhere else and I was ready to fight again. Even before I stood up, I was ready to end it. Tong was getting on my nerves. This wasn't about escaping anymore. I wanted to put him down anyway I could.

We squared off in front of the poetry house. He charged at me and I tripped him up sending him face first into a streetlight. The thud as he hit the pole was really satisfying, but it didn't slow him down any. Somehow it only drove him to move faster. He came back at me and swung his claws in a blinding fury. I felt his them swing inches away from my face. It was amazing he didn't hurt himself. We danced across the street to the front of a teashop that was closed for the night. I ducked out of the way and he planted one of his claws deep into the side of the building. It brought him to a dead stop and he tried to yank his hand loose. I hit him in the face a few times and then knocked his feet right out from under him. They were good clean hits, but it wasn't enough. I backed away in shock and watched as he ripped his claw free and hissed like an animal. He started to breathe heavy like someone a few steps away from exploding into rage. I felt like I was watching a volcano ready to erupt. Then he took a moment to compose himself and slowed down. It was one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen. He really was crazy.

The fight was back on after he held off his tantrum. His expression changed into an intense stare. Instead of rushing into things like a madman, he casually walked toward me as if we were friends. A bad feeling started to build up in my stomach. I kept my distance and waited for him to make a move. But he held off attacking and simply walked toward me. A few more circles around the street and I got tired of waiting. When he was close enough I attacked and played right into his hands. He moved just enough not to get hit and then retaliated with an explosion of movement. Somehow he swallowed all his rage and turned it into a burst of vicious speed. He got behind me before I knew what happened. I felt one of his claws up against my back and the other pressed against my throat. It was horrible. The fight was over in seconds.

"Drop your weapons and let's go for a walk." He ordered.

I dropped my fans and my sword. He pushed me along without moving his claws away. We walked a short distance to a train station. It was the dead of night and no one was around. Not even any security or police officers. We headed up a short flight of stairs and walked to the edge of the platform.

"Are you going to push me in front of a train?" I asked.

"No, no. Your voice is far too pretty for something so dramatic."

I swallowed hard. "Don't you mean my tongue?"

His laugh sent shivers down my spine. We were going to take a late night train ride to a place only he knew about. If we got on a train no one would find me. Suki and the other girls didn't even know I had gone out. They probably realized I was missing by now, but they wouldn't know the first place to look. Maybe they would ask around enough to know I went to the Great Crane. It would be far too late by then.

"Let go of me," I said.

"I don't like people who order me around. The doctors ordered me around all the time. They wanted me to talk. They wanted me to take my medicine. They wanted me to stop harassing patients in the secure wing."

"Then why do you work for Shen?"

"He keeps me out of Ash Springs. It's a very nice place, but it's not nice enough to spend the rest of my life. Besides, there was an incident a year ago." He paused. "Or two? Anyway, I don't want to go back."

"You're-"

He applied more pressure to the claw up against my back to shut me up. Even after I shut my mouth he kept pushing. The pain started to get worse and I didn't know if he was going to stop. Then someone called out my name.

"Reina!"

Tong spun around to use me as a shield. Suki stood at the other end of the platform. It was Suki! I didn't care how she found me. It was a relief just to see her. She tried to move closer and then spotted Tong's claws.

"Reina, are you alright?" Suki asked.

"Be careful, he's crazy!" I warned her.

"Let her go!"

"You don't control me." Tong growled to himself. "No! We're taking a train!"

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"The letter . . . you left it on your bed. We've been looking all over for you." Suki explained.

Shen's letter . . . That's right. I left it out. So they probably knew . . . I bet they found my weapons in the street.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't worry. We'll get you out of this."

Tong dragged me back a few steps.

"You'll get nothing!" He hissed.

She nodded at me and I knew that look. Something was going to happen soon. Part of me wanted to look around but I resisted so Tong wouldn't catch on. I just had to trust them.

"The train is coming. When it arrives, it'll only have enough room for the two us. So stay back!"

Tong moved closer to the edge of the platform when it happened. Ty Lee came flipping in from nowhere and landed right behind him. Before he could turn around she struck both his arms with Chi Blocking and pulled me to safety. We ran to Suki where it was safe. I didn't really know what happened until it was over and I no longer had sharp blades held to my neck. I was so relieved that I hugged Ty Lee in the middle of everything.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I gasped. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you!"

"Aw, you're welcome." She patted me on the back.

But Tong wasn't done yet. He stood up and tried to move his arms. They were paralyzed and hung loosely at his side. He started to breathe heavy again and his face twisted into pure rage.

"That's probably not good, right?" Ty Lee realized.

Even though he couldn't move his arms, he shook his body until they swung around on momentum alone. His claws swiped at the air recklessly. There was a better chance he'd hurt himself before he got any of us, but that didn't matter to him. We scattered as he landed between the three of us with his arms jerking around at random. It was frightening and sad at the same time. Suki tossed one of her fans and hit him right in the face. It only knocked him back a few steps, and then he charged again.

"You should probably get the rest of him." I suggested to Ty Lee.

She stared in awe at Tong's crazy thrashing. "Yeah."

Carefully, Ty Lee and Suki moved in and took turns hitting Tong's body with Chi Blocking until he couldn't move anymore. Finally, he hit the ground completely helpless. Even then he hissed and stared at us with intense anger.

"Who is this guy?" Ty Lee asked.

"You don't want to know," I said.

The police came and took Tong away. It didn't take them long to show up after we fought our way across the shopping district. He was headed back to Ash Springs or wherever he came from. Suki, Ty Lee, and I returned to the mansion. Azula was asleep in her room, but the other girls were still up waiting for us to get back. They were relieved to see I was okay. At the same time I could tell that Suki was angry at what I did. We moved into the living room and I prepared for the worst.

"What were you thinking, Reina?" Suki exclaimed. "You went out alone without telling us anything! That was dangerous and stupid. If you got on that train with Tong and we weren't there . . ."

I stared at the floor. "I know, Suki. I'm sorry."

"You've never been this reckless before."

"It's my own fault. I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I'm sorry about everything." I took a deep breath and looked up. "I was so busy holding a grudge against Azula that I could hardly think about anything else. I was so sure I was right. But instead of upholding the honor of the Kyoshi Warriors I almost threw it away."

I sank to my knees and bowed. It had become hard to speak, but I had to say it.

"Please, forgive me."

We had been through a lot. We grew up together, trained together, and fought together. I hoped I didn't throw all of that away. What I wanted more than anything else was to be part of the Kyoshi Warriors. But I didn't act like it. Ever since I ran into Nohi and Azula I was caught up in my own problems. I anxiously waited for an answer. Instead Suki made me stand up and put her hands on m shoulders.

"You're forgiven." She smiled. "But don't let it happen again, okay?"

I looked around to find nods of encouragement from the other girls. It was a weight off my heart.

"So, what now?" I asked, close to tears.

"Tell us what happened," Suki said.

We sat down and I told them everything about Shen. Who he was, what he did, and why he wanted Azula so badly. The only thing I left out was my nightmare caused by the cactus juice. I could hardly make sense of it myself. The important thing was that we knew who was responsible for everything that was going on.

"I don't know how we'll prove it," I explained. "Tong is crazy so no one will listen to him. I was poisoned with cactus juice so I doubt they'll listen to me either. Plus, Shen has a lot of money so he probably has a lot of powerful friends to come to his defense."

"What about the letter?" Ty Lee suggested.

"Yeah, I'd say that's pretty incriminating!" Chie agreed.

"Do we still have it?" Yuki wondered.

Suki pulled the letter out and put it on the table. I forgot that Shen had signed his name. He must have been pretty confident that I would work for him. Or maybe he got impatient or careless. Either way his letter was going to come back and bite him.

"It's a start." Suki decided.

Hopefully that letter would be enough to put him in jail . . .

-Next Chapter: Shen's Airship


	9. Shen's Airship

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 9: Shen's Airship

The next day, all my excitement proved to be wasted. A little after breakfast, Suki called everyone into the living room to give us the bad news. Azula was there too since we decided to tell her what was going on. The letter Shen sent me was enough for the police to open an investigation. By the time they got around to question him, he had disappeared. Apparently he had gone on a "business trip" and no one knew when he was supposed to return. It couldn't be more obvious. He had skipped town before anyone could close in on him. With his money he could have gone anywhere. I really wanted to go after him, but we still had a responsibility to watch Azula. Suki decided that it was better to leave Shen to the police. She was right, but it didn't make me feel any better. I wore myself out pacing the room and collapsed into a chair with a frustrated sigh.

"I don't believe this," I said.

"Shen sounds like a man who knows when to cut his losses." Azula remarked.

I was hard to say what Azula thought about Shen. I think she found him amusing more than anything else. Considering who she had gone up against during the war, a man with burnt hands probably wasn't much of a threat.

"Yeah, he might have escaped for now," Suki said. "But how about some good news?"

I sighed again. "Why not?"

"A messenger hawk came early this morning. Zuko is arriving today."

It was the best news I had heard since coming to Ba Sing Se. The mood in the room became more positive. Everyone was pleasantly surprised. Well, except for Azula.

"I thought you said it was good news," she scoffed.

Suki continued without missing a beat.

"The Earth King is throwing a party at the palace in honor of Zuko's visit and we're invited. So, we're going to meet him there."

Ty Lee's eyes lit up. "Do we get to wear anything fancy for this party?"

"Sorry Ty Lee . . . we're still on duty."

It was hard to imagine we were going to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace for a party. Getting into the upper ring was one thing; going to the heart of Ba Sing Se was a whole different level. The Earth King would be there along with Zuko. I suppose it was a big deal to have a Fire Lord come to Ba Sing Se as a guest instead of a conqueror. It had been a hundred years or more since the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom had been on friendly terms. I guess they wanted to make the most of it. Still, I looked at Azula and tried to picture her walking into the palace. If we were going she was coming with us. I imagined everyone in the room turning at once and putting a blank stare on their faces. Nothing said forgiveness like letting Azula into the same room as the Earth King. I started to understand what Suki meant when she said we'd still be on duty.

"It sounds like it will be a wonderful time." Azula scoffed. "You can spend the whole night keeping a room full of cowards safe from me."

"I'm sure we'll have a great time. I bet people won't even remember you." Ty Lee assured her.

That would be a neat trick considering Azula had conquered Ba Sing Se once in the name of her father. But I kept my mouth shut.

"We'll see," Azula muttered.

The girls continued to talk about the party as Azula stood up to go back to her room. I slipped out and caught up with her before she reached the top of the stairs.

"Wait," I said.

I heard her let out a frustrated sigh. She slowly turned around and crossed her arms. The scowl on her face made me take a step back.

"What do you want? Is there something else you want to accuse me of? It's almost starting to become entertaining to find out what you'll come up with next."

I shook my head. "No, I wanted to . . . I wanted to say . . ."

The words were stuck in my throat. I tried to speak but nothing came out. Her patience wore thin and she started to turn around. Finally, I was able to spit something out, even though it wasn't what I really wanted to say.

"Shen's hands were horribly burned during the war. He was sure you knew who did it to him. Do you know what he meant by that?"

I waited for her to blow me off. She certainly had more than enough reasons. But she actually thought about it for a second or two before shaking her head.

"Considering it could be any firebender who ever stepped foot in the Earth Kingdom, he's probably desperate to blame someone. But I didn't keep track of every soldier in the Fire Nation Military so he's clearly out of luck."

"Are you sure?" I asked quickly.

She turned away. "Trust me."

I let her go and went back to the living room. I would probably never find out what Shen thought he could accomplish by kidnapping Azula. Maybe he lied to me. Maybe it was something else. I'd never know since he had gotten away. I pushed it out of my mind and tried to focus on the party later tonight. We were going to the royal palace and I planned on enjoying it. After everything that happened in this city, I needed at least one thing to go right. There was no sense letting Shen's escape ruin that too. Not to mention it would probably be our last night of guarding Azula. That was something worth celebrating . . .

We arrived at the palace as things were getting started. The royal palace grounds were absolutely huge, but the party was set aside in one of the massive halls. Numerous tables that ran the length of the room were covered in food and drinks. Flags of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation hung from the ceiling. There were a lot more people attending than I thought there would be. Most of them reminded me of the customers I saw at the Great Crane. They were a lot friendlier, probably because we were actually invited and a few of them were curious to meet the Kyoshi Warriors. The only person who didn't seem to be at the party was Zuko. While we tried to find him, people gawked at Azula from a safe distance. It was hard to tell if it was out of fear or disgust, but she enjoyed it. Once she turned on her smirk it never stopped. Where ever we walked, the crowd parted as if she was bending them out of the way. We almost went completely around the room when a palace guard came up and greeted us with a respectful bow.

"I was instructed to tell you that the Earth King and the Fire Lord have been delayed by their meeting. But they will arrive shortly."

The guard quickly left after delivering his message. We had some time to kill.

"Showing up fashionably late? That figures." Chie muttered.

"That's royalty for you." Yuki shrugged.

"I guess we can enjoy ourselves until then," Suki said. "But don't go far."

Azula was oddly silent. There seemed to be a lot on her mind. A few times I almost felt like asking her even if it meant getting a snide answer. After Shen it was hard to see her the same way. I really wondered what she planned to do. The war was over. Her brother was the Fire Lord. Her father was in prison. What was left for her? The thought of her waiting tables at her uncle's teashop made me laugh because I knew she would never go for it. Then I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was someone I recognized, but it was hard to imagine who since nearly everyone was from the upper ring. When I looked it was a noble lady making her way through the crowd. Something about her was familiar. I made sure that Aoi was with Azula and then followed after the lady. She went over to a door near the corner of the room and waited. I tried to put my finger on what was so familiar. I looked at her eyes and it suddenly came to me. My stomach dropped. The noble lady was Fang the Stone Face. I hardly recognized her with the fancy dress and the makeup. My mind started to race. She couldn't possibly be trying again at the royal palace. How would she escape? Before I could turn away to warn the other girls, she noticed me. Our eyes met and she merely smiled.

I began to shout, but my voice was quickly cut off by screams coming from the middle of the room. One of the tables had caught fire. People scattered right before it blew up and panic broke out. When I looked back to Fang, she was gone. The door she stood next to had opened up and smoke began to pour into the room. Coal the Cinder Lung had to be here too. I fought my way through the frantic crowd to try and get back to Azula. Smoke was slowly filling the room. The palace guards began to evacuate everyone. By the time I got back over to Azula, she was collapsed on the floor. Aoi was kneeling next to her looking around confused.

"What happened?" I shouted over the screams.

"I don't know! She just collapsed!"

We found something sticking out of her neck. It was a dart, probably covered in Shirshu spit. Azula was temporarily paralyzed. This wasn't good.

"We have to get her out of here! It's them! It's Shen!"

Aoi was just as amazed as I was. "What? He's trying to get Azula in the middle of the royal palace?"

"Where is everyone?" I asked quickly.

"Caught in the crowd, I think!"

I couldn't see Suki, or Ty Lee or anyone else. The smoke made it impossible to see across the room. I kept my eyes peeled until someone ran up to us through the haze. It was Fang. She knocked Aoi away with Earthbending before I could react and disappeared into the smoke.

"Hey, let me help you out!"

The gruff voice sent my spirits lower as I turned around. Nohi was standing next to me. I tried to pull out my fans, but he picked me up and threw me into a nearby table. He scooped up Azula, put her over his shoulder and ran into the smokescreen. Without thinking I chased after him. They had Azula. I wasn't going to let them get away. The room became a nightmare. With the smoke and everyone trying to escape, people kept running into me and knocking me over. But I kept fighting toward Nohi until I saw Coal moving through the chaos. They were all here . . . how did they expect to escape the royal palace without a platoon of soldiers coming down on them? I yelled at them even though it was useless.

"Stop!"

Somehow I made my way out of the smoke into one of the many hallways of the palace. Fang, Nohi, and Coal escaped with Azula. They stopped for no one. Fang took the lead knocking over any soldier who got in their way. Nohi did all the heavy lifting and carried Azula. Coal dropped bombs behind him without so much as looking. I managed to weave my way through the explosions without getting blown up and stayed on them. They turned a few corners and took the stairs up toward the roof. What was waiting for them up there? Was Fang going to provide some spectacular escape with her Earthbending? I kept after them. It had gotten easier since Coal stopped dropping bombs. All I could hope was that he ran out. We went up and up and up. Nohi began to sound winded. I bet he had never run so much in his life. He probably crushed most of his problems before fleeing. But even though he was running out of energy, they still made good time. When I followed them out onto the roof of the palace, I was met with a horrible surprise.

They had an airship waiting for them.

It was one of the giant metal flying war machines the Fire Nation invented toward the end of the war. I couldn't believe it. The ship was floating in a perfect position so they could jump to it at the end of the roof. Once the three of them landed safely on the catwalk hanging from the bottom of it, they ran inside. I took a few steps toward the airship and froze. I didn't know what to do. I had never seen an airship before. Suki told me plenty of stories about how she helped Sokka and Toph wreck most of them but . . . I didn't know what to do. Was that why Shen disappeared? Because he was busy buying an airship? I thought he had one built for him, but it looked like a flying piece of junk. How did he get his hands on an airship!? I could have stared at it all day, but it began to move. I still didn't know what to do and simply followed it. It started to rise into the air and I was running out of roof. At the last second I decided to jump for it and caught the railing of the catwalk. I pulled myself up but I still didn't know what I was doing. The airship rose higher. I looked back to the palace and saw Suki and the other girls run out onto the roof. They saw me in the airship and looked on helplessly. This was a mistake. I wanted to get off but the airship was too high to make a jump to safety. The ground slowly got smaller and smaller. We began to fly over the city. At night, all the houses with light looked like stars. It was amazing, I was actually flying . . . and then I remembered who I was flying with. No one was coming to save me. I had to land this thing somehow.

It took some extra concentration, but I took my eyes off the world below. I grabbed the railing and carefully made my way toward the nearest hatch. The inside of the airship was cramped corridors and ladders. I didn't know where to start until I heard voices echoing from down below. I followed them to the bomb bay where I found Fang and Nohi. Shen was there too. They stood around Azula who was still unable to move after taking a Shirshu dart to the neck.

"Princess Azula, I'm so glad we could finally meet," Shen said.

He had his back to me as I came in. But Nohi noticed and quickly pointed me out. Shen slowly turned around and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't believe it," he muttered. "No . . . I take that back. You're living up to everything I've heard about the Kyoshi Warriors. Honorable and persistent."

The airship rumbled and I grabbed the wall for support.

"Land this thing. Take us back to the palace." I demanded.

He laughed. "No, I have a score to settle with Zuko. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment. You won't take it away from me."

I let his words sink in. "Zuko? This is about Zuko?"

He looked away as if he had said too much. He had let out a terrible secret but couldn't take it back. He couldn't help himself.

"Zuko burnt my hands back when he was a miserable banished prince from the Fire Nation who didn't care about anything but finding the Avatar. In his pursuit, he burned a few towns on the way. I was one of the casualties."

Every word was filled with anger. He went on and became more enraged.

"When Zuko became Fire Lord, it was the worst day of my life. I knew I would never be able to touch him. He would have guards, and soldiers, and a whole nation at his command. I would never get him back for burning my hands." He stopped and began to smile. "Then I realized there were better ways to get revenge. I would make him suffer the way he made me suffer. I would cut a hole out of his life. Someone he cared about. He would live in agony like I have."

"And then Azula came to Ba Sing Se?"

"I wanted to start with his mother, but I couldn't find her no matter who I hired. I decided to make due with Azula. After all, family is family."

"Zuko's mother?" I muttered.

"It's the best way really. Azula is so universally hated that no one would care. Her death wouldn't cause a serious outcry. No one would come to her funeral. And that's the best part. I don't need the world to care about Azula. I only need one person. Zuko."

I stared at him and shook my head. This was crazy.

"There has to be a better way. Isn't there someone who can help you with your hands? A healer or . . . something."

"I tried everything. I even swallowed my pride and went back home." Shen began to pace. "I wanted to visit the spirit oasis. I know how powerful its healing properties are. But the chief refused to let me in. My _tribe_ refused to let me back in. Some even had the nerve to tell me that losing my hands was punishment for leaving in the first place, for changing my name, for turning my back on them." He laughed bitterly. "How dare them! The spirits didn't take my hands! Zuko did!"

"So the only way you can feel complete is if you kill someone? No wonder they refused to help you." I shook my head in disbelief.

"What do you know about me!?" He spat.

"I know you're so angry that you'll do anything to get what you want. You don't care about justice. You don't care about who you hurt along the way. You only care about yourself."

He held out his bandaged hands. "I've earned it!"

It was painful to listen to him because so much of it reminded me of myself. For awhile I felt justified to get away with anything because I had been thrown in prison during the war. Losing to Nohi only made it worse. If I didn't meet Shen, I might have gone all the way until I lost everything.

"It's funny; I was so close to becoming just like you. You were a victim once, but not anymore. What's that name you said in the Great Crane? Oh yeah. You're the Stomach Bender."

That was enough to push Shen over the edge. He gave me a cold stare and folded his hands in his sleeves. His voice simmered in uncontrollable rage.

"Nohi." He hissed.

Nohi stepped forward with chains already wrapped around his fists. "Yeah?"

"When you're done breaking every bone in her body, throw her off my ship."

Fang picked up Azula and followed Shen out of the bomb bay. Nohi stepped forward again to block the way and pounded his fists together. He smiled at me with his big dumb grin. The room became smaller with him in it. There weren't a lot of places to run, but if the hatch on the floor opened up it would be a long fall back to earth. This was a horrible place to fight, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Looks like you'll get that rematch you wanted so bad." He laughed. "Ready?"

I pulled out my fans and went into a fighting stance. Nohi didn't scare me anymore. I was ready to fight my way through anyone.

-Next Chapter: The Long Way to the Top


	10. The Long Way to the Top

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 10: The Long Way to the Top

Nohi chucked me across the bomb bay like a barrel of fish. I kept trying to find the switch that would open the hatch on the floor and dump him out of the airship. But that switch must have been somewhere else. Going at him head on was just like the day we fought in the middle ring. He kept up his attack no matter what weapon I pulled out. Trying to block him was a waste of time and only tired me out. His chain wrapped fists threatened to knock me out with one punch. But I refused to let him get the best of me. I knew all of his tricks and his gang wasn't around to steal my weapons at the worst possible moment. I could get him if I stayed away from his rampaging fists. The best I could do was strike at his legs. Hitting him in the face or the arms was like punching a brick wall without knowing earthbending. I had to wear him down, but knowing that didn't make it any easier. He was a tank. And I wasn't ready to use Chi Blocking yet. I couldn't take that chance if it didn't work. This fight wasn't about seeing what I could do or spending an afternoon. He was out to finish me off.

"I didn't think a guy like you would work for Shen," I said, circling the bomb bay.

"After he heard about our fight in the middle ring, he was impressed with what I could do."

"I thought you were out to make a name."

"I am, but money is nice too." He smiled.

He put his shoulder down and charged across the bomb bay. I threw a fan at his leg and knocked him off balance. It sent him crashing into the metal wall. The room shuttered almost as if he had caused it, but it was only the airship. We fought back to the middle of the room as I dodged his punches and hammering blows. Putting him into the wall made him angry and his every move showed it. Before I came up with a new plan, a ringing filled the bomb bay. Alarms on the ceiling were going off. Nohi turned white and immediately ran to the edge of the room. Panic shot through my head. The bomb bay was about to open! I jumped toward the wall as it opened up and almost didn't make it. There was now a large hole in the bottom of the airship. Ba Sing Se rushed below and from our height, looked like a toy city. With the hatch open, the bomb bay had been reduced to the edges of the room. Nohi and I were on opposite sides but I wasn't about to fight him here. I ran through the first hatch I came across.

"Where do you think you're running on an airship?" Nohi shouted after me.

He followed me down a flight of steps into the engine room. Great big furnaces lined the walls and burned steadily. Red hot pipes crisscrossed the ceiling and ran back and forth between furnaces. The heat was terrible; I immediately started to sweat. I carefully ducked behind the pipes and out of sight as Nohi came stomping in. I had my fans ready.

"Hiding huh? I don't blame you. Last time we fought I put you down pretty hard. Fang tells me you have a sore spot under your arm. If you get hit there you scream like a boar-q-pine!"

My side didn't hurt as badly, but I didn't want to get hit there.

"Must be tough to hide in an engine room wearing that dress and that armor! You're gonna melt!" He laughed angrily. "Is your make up running yet?"

I vaulted off a pipe and kicked him right in the face. He stumbled backward and banged into one of the furnaces. I rolled out of the way as he bounced back and retaliated with a vicious punch. He put a dent in one of the metal pipes and grinned. Then he spun around and knocked me across the room.

"When I'm done with you, your face paint will be out of order!"

He didn't let me get back up and grabbed my leg. I couldn't break free, and he bounced me off a furnace. Between the heat and getting knocked around, it was hard to breathe. Everything was getting blurry.

"I'm going to hit you so hard Avatar Kyoshi will feel it!"

"She . . . would eat you alive." I gasped.

I waited for him to get close before jumping up and taking a shot at his jaw. But he knocked my arm away and grabbed my throat. He lifted me off the ground and watched me struggle. I kicked the air and tried to pry his fingers away but it was no use. I watched him cock his arm back and knew I had to act quickly. I jabbed his arms with Chi Blocking and . . . amazingly it worked. His arm went limp and he dropped me. I gasped for air as he loomed over me and brought his head back. I stood my ground and watched as he prepared to smash his head forward in a devastating heat butt. As he swung I moved out of the way at the last second. Instead of attacking me, he bashed his head into a metal pipe. A ringing sound filled the engine room as he stumbled backwards and clutched his forehead. It didn't take much to knock him down after that. With a simple push, he fell backward and hit the floor with a loud thud. Nohi was done fighting for now. I hurried back to the bomb bay as the heat became unbearable. All the air rushing past the open floor felt good, so I took a moment to rest.

Coal, Fang, and Shen were left.

Just thinking about fighting through them . . . I began to argue with myself. Could I really take them? Did I have a choice? I knew I shouldn't push my luck. Nohi knocked himself out and I was sure the others wouldn't be so nice. Coal was a firebender who breathed smoke. I had fought firebenders before. But Fang was a Dai Li agent. How many of them had I beaten lately? I went on and on in my head until it seemed hopeless.

I stopped and took a deep breath. I had to land the airship, or at the very least force it to the ground. I looked out the bomb bay and we were flying over the lower ring. We were getting closer to the edge of the city. I had to get it down before then. My next stop was the control room. Someone was flying this thing. On the way, I kept an eye out for anyone else. The airship was empty without a full crew. Azula and Shen weren't in any of the rooms I passed, but it was a big ship. I pressed on until I reached the door to the control room. I had my sword ready as I rushed inside. To my surprise, Coal was the only one there. He was at the wheel, flying the airship. I didn't know I had come in until the door slammed shut and he looked over his shoulder.

"Land this thing." I ordered.

"Or what?" He asked without turning around. "Are you going to fly the airship?"

"I have a friend of mine who was pretty good at crashing these things. I'll think of something."

Coal flipped a few switches and turned the wheel until he didn't have to steer anymore. The airship shifted into a gentle turn. We might have begun to fly in circles; I didn't really know airships that well. Once Coal was done at the controls, he slowly turned around to face me.

"I guess you took care of Nohi." He chewed on his fancy gold pipe. "I would have done it myself if it weren't for this job."

"Why? Because he calls you the Cinder Lung?"

He laughed wryly. "My commander gave me that name when I served in the Fire Nation Army. I tried so hard to bury it. But no matter what I do, people just seem to know. Nohi thought it was funny. I was this close to blowing him up. He's lucky you got to him first."

"I don't care about your name."

He shook his head. "I should breathe fire. I do everything right. But it's always smoke."

Things got worse as he took his pipe and slid it in his belt. I unfolded my shield and stood ready. I didn't want to fight him, but it seemed impossible to avoid.

"Doing a job well? My reputation? That's all I have against that stupid name. Do you think I'll let you ruin that for me?" He held his hands out.

"Oh great," I muttered.

Fire streaked across the room as he attacked. I blocked with my shield and rolled in close. He avoided my sword and I knocked his arms away so I wouldn't get fried. Then I got too close and he spat smoke in my face. The awful taste of foul ash sent me spinning around in a daze. A fire blast hit me right in the back and knocked me into the wall. My armor kept me from getting badly burned, but it still hurt. I turned around and barely had enough time to block as he kicked a blast of fire. He didn't let up. Fire crashed against my shield continuously as he moved in closer. I couldn't find a way out until he got closer so I could kick his legs out from under him. He tumbled to the floor and flooded the room with smoke. It was the Blue Lantern and the royal palace all over again. Only it was worse because the control room was smaller and smoke was thicker. It hurt to breathe, even when I dropped to the floor. He was trying to suffocate me! I almost ran to the door, and then I had a better idea. I covered my face and broke the windows over the steering controls with my sword. The smoke quickly vented out the control room.

Coal couldn't hide his surprise when the smokescreen suddenly cleared up. In his confusion, I was able to kick him in the back. He bounced off the wall and stumbled to the other side of the room. It was my turn not to let up. He tried to use firebending but was so sluggish that it was easy to avoid. I knocked him back and forth across the control room. All his smoke drifted harmlessly out the window and he had nowhere to hide. I caught his arm, spun him around, and threw him to the floor. It was a relief to watch him try to get up and then collapse. I was just glad it was over. Between the smoke and the fire and trying to fight him, I was out of breath. I sat down next to the steering controls and started to cough up all the nasty smoke I accidently gulped down during the fight. Everything I needed to land the airship was in this room. Things started to look better . . . and then Fang entered the room. She looked at Coal unconscious on the ground and then looked to me. I felt sick. No. Not her. Not now.

"Well, you've been busy," she said dryly.

I forced myself to stand even though I was still out of breath. My sword felt heavy.

"There's not . . . a lot of earth . . . to bend up here is there?" I gasped.

Fang brought out her hands so I could see her stone gloves. She had me.

"So you beat the Knuckleduster, and then you came up here to deal with Coal? Impressive." She took a step forward. "What were you going to do about me?"

I would try my best. After fighting through Nohi and Coal, I didn't have enough energy to go after Fang. Not right away. I needed a break. Thinking about fighting her felt hopeless . . . but I wouldn't let myself give in.

"You're next," I said.

She chuckled. "You only have one move to make. Any hesitation, any mistake, and you'll lose. When I was in the Dai Li, I always preferred to face my enemies like this. Usually they lose hope. I let them talk themselves into giving up. It saves a lot of time."

My legs felt weak.

"You're playing with me." I realized.

"Not at all. The Dai Li never taught me to play with my enemies. You're mistaking me with someone like Tong or a lowlife like Nohi. They treat a fight like a game or some bragging right. I'm glad you didn't let them beat you. It wouldn't be right."

"Why are you even doing this?"

"Shen promised to help me find my parents. I know he's a liar. But his lies are good enough to believe in."

The control room gave me nothing to work with. I was just Fang and I standing on opposite sides of the room and Coal unconscious in the corner. I couldn't bring myself to move. I felt like a statue. Her voice was cold and her stare was worse. The tension in the room was unbearable.

"Go on," she said. "It will be over faster than you think."

I raised my sword and took a step forward. At the same time, Fang launched both her stone gloves and pushed me out of the control room through a broken window. The wind whipped at my ears as I began to fall away from the airship. I thought I was dead. There was nothing left to do but scream as I fell all the way down to Ba Sing Se. But before I gave into the terror, I landed on something hard. To my amazement, I landed on the catwalk sitting just below the control room. It stretched out in front of the airship like a nose . . . and it had saved my life. Fang came to the window and looked down to see I was still alive. Her expression didn't budge. I was beside myself; I couldn't believe I was still alive. My body wouldn't stop shaking and I had never felt so happy. It took awhile before I realized that Fang was coming down to finish the job. I shook off my near-death experience and jumped to my feet. My sword was gone from the fall, but I still had my fans. A few moments later Fang stepped out onto the catwalk with her hands behind her back.

"I admit it's cruel, but I'm curious to see if you'll flap those fans as you fall," she said.

I ignored her. She wanted me to get angry so I would make a mistake. No, I watched for her stone gloves.

"Are there any messages you want me to give to the other Kyoshi Warriors? Maybe you want me to give them your fans? I'm not above honoring someone's final wishes."

"Shut up, Stone Face." It was all I could think.

We stared each other down again, only this time it was on a narrow platform hanging from an airship flying miles above Ba Sing Se. I had never been so scared in my life. The wind never stopped.

Finally, she made her move.

Instead of using her stone gloves, she pulled out a blowpipe filled with spit darts- probably the same ones she used on Azula. I held off for a split second and then tried to deflect her darts with my fan. I swung as fast as I could and hoped. Just like that, it was over. I managed to avoid getting hit, but Fang wasn't so lucky. One of the darts bounced back and hit her in the leg. She plucked it out but it was too late. Her body went limp and she began to fall. Before I knew it, I had rushed over and grabbed her leg before she plunged to the earth. Somehow I was able to drag her back onto the catwalk where she slumped over paralyzed. Everything came rushing back to me and I gasped in relief. Then I looked at Fang. For once, her face showed emotion. She was shocked.

"I've never been hit with a Shirshu dart before . . ." she muttered weakly.

I pulled her back inside the airship and closed the hatch behind us. Something had happened to her. She couldn't believe anything, it was as if she thought she was dreaming.

"Fang, where is Shen? Where did he take Azula?"

"What? Oh . . . he made me take her to the top of the airship. He's there too."

She was so dazed, I found it hard to be sure about anything.

"The top of the airship? You mean, on the balloon?"

"Yes . . . he's going to kill her."

I realized I had to forget landing the ship. I was out of time, and Shen was the only one left.

"How do I get up there?" I asked Fang.

The ladder to the top of the airship was a maintenance hatch near the back of the ship. It looked like a dark tunnel to nowhere, but I started to climb. Thinking about Shen climbing the ladder made me dread reaching the top. Nothing was going to stop him from getting what he wanted, not even if he had to hurt himself. The hatch was still open when I got to the top of the ladder. Somehow, the wind wasn't as bad as it was on the catwalks below. The view was impressive though. We were circling the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Nasty clouds were gathering above us. Toward the front of the airship I saw Shen and Azula. She had regained enough feeling to sit up, and he had taken the bandages off his hands.

"Shen, stop it! It's over!" I yelled.

He turned around. His face looked torn between confusion and rage.

"You! I don't . . . What happened to Nohi? And Coal? Where is Fang?" He cried.

"I took care of them. You're the only one left!"

"No, this has to be some kind of joke . . ."

Azula seemed just as angry as Shen, only she couldn't move. Really, they were the last two people I wanted to tip toe the top of an airship with.

"Let Azula go!" I demanded. "And don't even think about stomach bending!"

He held his hands out and glared at me. I was close enough to jump over and strike him before he made a move. But that didn't bother him.

"Didn't you hear the weather prediction this morning?"

As if on cue, it began to rain. The nasty clouds above were storm clouds. I looked up in disbelief as water started to drench every inch of the airship. Shen looked to the sky and laughed hysterically.

"You're going to wish I used stomach bending on you," he said.

I wasn't over. I don't know why I was surprised.

-Next Chapter: The Ice Storm Over Ba Sing Se


	11. The Ice Storm Over Ba Sing Se

-Avatar: The Last Airbender

--The Stomach Bender

---Chapter 11: The Ice Storm Over Ba Sing Se

Shen brought his hands down and icicle spears rained from the sky. All of them were aimed directly at me. My shield deflected them at first. The attack kept coming and it began to buckle under the pounding ice. Unfortunately Shen had all the water he would ever need pouring from the sky with no end in sight. At first his waterbending was violent and messy. His hands hurt too much to do anything fancy. But he got enough water to sooth his burned hands and became much more dangerous. Annoying bursts of water turned into high pressure torrents. It felt like a river had opened up right on top of me. I was thrown across the airship and nearly washed right off the side. He plucked raindrops from the sky until he had enough to use as a water whip and attacked without slowing down. I tried to dodge it and ended up getting hit so hard I flipped around and landed on my back. When I got back up, he knocked me right back down to the ground. The rain made the airship slippery and I feared one good push was all it would take to send me plunging to Ba Sing Se. Fighting a waterbender in the rain . . . it was a nightmare. I had to get away from the storm. Or the airship. Maybe it could fly above the clouds. I had to get to the control room.

I tried to make a break for the maintenance ladder but Shen caught my leg and dragged me back. No matter how much I clawed at the metal surface I couldn't break free. He tossed me from one side of the ship and back again. I expected him to throw me off the side at any moment, but he never did. I realized that he didn't want to miss my last breath for anything. He was determined to drag it out as long as he could. By the time he stopped throwing me around, I had lost count. I landed on my stomach and skidded to a stop. My whole body was hurting. It was hard to get up and even harder to get on my feet again. I was completely drenched, cold, and I felt like I had swallowed half of a lake. Worst of all . . . I was so tired.

"I never considered myself a violent man, but you've proved me wrong," Shen yelled.

I couldn't answer because I was breathing too hard.

"All I wanted was Azula. Was that too much? Of all the people you'd fight to save, why do you waste your time with her? I can't stand it!"

"It's not just about me," I said. "It's about the Kyoshi Warriors. And a good friend who asked us for a favor."

"Well, it's about to get you killed!"

He cracked his water whip and hit me across the face. My cheeks burned, but it knocked some sense into me. I no longer felt heavy like a statue. The next time he moved in to attack I had enough energy to jump forward and get in close. He immediately froze the water covering his hands into ice and traded blows. His ice gloves were tough, but they weren't rock. Every time he blocked I chipped a little away. He started to spend more time grabbing water to make more ice. That was his weakness. If I could hit his burned hands, the pain would be too much for him. And as long as his hands were frozen his waterbending was limited. I didn't give him any space. We fought all over the top of the airship and almost tripped over Azula in the process. She still couldn't move so I forced the fight away from her. I hit Shen a few times in his legs and his face hoping to find an opening for his arms. But he hit me with a blast of water. It wasn't very strong, but it was enough to knock me off balance so he could jump away. I tried to run after him and started to feel stiff. To my horror, ice was crawling up my legs. He was slowly freezing all the water that drenched my clothes and armor. I flailed around trying to knock the ice loose but it was too late. Before I knew it I was frozen from the neck down.

"No. No!" I cried.

I couldn't budge no matter how hard I struggled. Shen took the opportunity to draw rain into a large sphere of water and froze it solid- a boulder of ice. He looked at me with a terrible grin. I knew what was coming next but I couldn't stop it. He threw the ice boulder and it crashed right into me. Even half frozen, I wasn't much of a challenge for it. I went flying as the world became black and silent. Shen, the rain, Azula; it was all gone. Terrible pain washed over my body.

Was it over?

I didn't want to believe it. But . . . what did I expect fighting a waterbender in the rain? I still didn't want to believe it. I struggled against the awful blackness.

"Typical," someone far away said.

My eyes were open. I was still on the airship, but everything was muted. I had to blink over and over again until the world came back into focus. Azula was leaning over me. I must have landed near her after Shen's ice boulder knocked my lights out.

"What's . . . happening?" I groaned.

"You lost," she said dismissively. "I'm not surprised. I never expected much from a Kyoshi Warrior. After all, you're hardly a challenge when you're all together."

Why was she telling me this? Didn't she understand I was trying to save her? If I didn't come along, Shen would have killed her.

"What . . . are you . . ?" I coughed.

"Am I not making myself clear? You're weak."

"No."

Just hearing her talk turned my despair into anger. I tried to get up but the pain was too much. She laughed at me.

"Do you know why I decided to throw you in prison during the war? You weren't worth the trouble to eliminate. I don't waste my time with peasants that play dress up."

I didn't need to hear this. Not now. What was she thinking? I was fighting for my life and she was insulting me? The absurdity made me feel like forcing her topknot down her throat.

"Shut up," I gasped.

"You're pathetic," she continued. "I know about your traditions. Avatar Kyoshi would be ashamed. You're a disgrace."

Her biting words and her vicious tone was too much. She was wrong. She didn't know anything about Avatar Kyoshi.

"You think I'm wrong? The fact that you can't even get up only proves my point."

"I'll show you." I vowed.

"Oh really?"

That was it. I grit my teeth, and through boiling anger, I found the strength to get on my feet again. My body hurt all over, but I was too mad to care. I wanted to beat Azula senseless until she couldn't smile anymore. But once I got off the ground everything came back into focus. I had bigger problems. Shen was still trying to kill me. He seemed surprised I was able to stand.

"You should have stayed down," he yelled angrily.

I glanced at Azula and she glared back. If she hadn't said anything . . . I couldn't decide if she had helped me in some messed up way. She couldn't find any words of encouragement, so she did the only thing she could do- provide her own style of motivation. I didn't know what to think, but I shook my head and focused on Shen. I didn't have a lot of fight left in me. It was hard enough to stay on my feet, never mind fighting across the top of a slippery airship. As much as I didn't want to admit it, everything had come down to Chi Blocking. No more trying to fight Shen and his endless supply of water. Somehow I had to get close to him. He would pulverize me before that happened. I had to get him to come to me. What would Azula do?

"Stomach bender," I said.

The smile on Shen's face faded away. His eye began to twitch.

"Shen the Stomach Bender," I said again. "Your first name must have been pretty awful."

With murder in his eyes he froze the water on his hands into spears of ice and charged. I went into the stance that Ty Lee had shown me a million times and took a deep breath. He jumped at me with a furious scream and I jabbed away as fast as I could. I started with his arms and slipped around behind him before starting on his back and legs. Every time I hit him he jerked with a grunt of surprise. I never stopped once to see what happened until I hit him almost everywhere.

He collapsed to the ground with a groan of surprise. The best part- he didn't get back up.

It had worked. I forgot about everything. I let out a victorious scream and danced around until I remembered I had almost been flattened by a huge ball of ice and collapsed to my knees in pain. But it didn't matter. Shen was completely helpless and couldn't move much less waterbend. Finally, finally, Chi Blocking had worked just as well as it did for Ty Lee and the other girls. I was allowed to feel relief. And then I remembered Azula and realized she had watched me jump for joy. The embarrassment was a little hard to shake as I went over to see if she was alright.

"Uh . . . are you okay? Can you move?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she snapped.

She had to try a few times, but she was able to get up. The Shirshu dart had almost worn off completely. Her movement was slow, but at least she could move.

"Azula . . . I . . . um. Thank you," I said slowly. "I almost blacked out after the ice boulder and-"

"I didn't do it for your sake."

I felt too happy from pulling off Chi Blocking to be mad at her. Really, I was glad we were still alive. It was over. The clouds started to part. The rain faded to a drizzle and then died away completely. I looked to the sky as the moon and stars came out. The night sky looked pretty high up in the air. When I turned back to Azula, my relief was short lived. She had picked up Shen by the collar and was threatening to throw him off the airship. I stared in shock.

"What are you . . ." Shen gasped.

"Azula! What are you doing?" I managed to say.

She was too busy dangling Shen's life by a thread to answer me. He was terrified. If she let go of him, he'd drop like a rock and slide right off the airship before plunging to Ba Sing Se below. He was still completely helpless from Chi Blocking.

"Azula!" I was too scared to get near them.

"You know Shen, airships can be a dangerous place." She smiled. "I fell off an airship once. Fortunately, I was able to grab the side of a cliff and save myself. Of course, my chi wasn't blocked like yours is now, but you seem resourceful. I'm sure you'll think of something. It's a long way down."

"No! Don't drop him! It's over! You don't need to kill him!" I yelled.

No matter what I said, she wouldn't listen to me. It was like I wasn't there. I kept waiting for her to drop him. The longer she held him to the edge the more desperate he became. Suddenly he was looking to me for help.

"Please! Don't let her drop me! Stop her!" He cried.

"Do you really think she's going to help you? After you tried to kill her moments ago? I can see it in your eyes," she said. "You're a coward. You were too afraid to go after my brother so you came after me. You thought I was an easy target. But you don't know me. I've destroyed men far greater than you."

I scrambled to find some argument that would make her put Shen down without throwing him over the side.

"You can't kill him!" I shouted at her.

Finally I got through to her. Or at least, I got her to glance over her shoulder at me.

"Oh? Why not?"

It wasn't a question because the answer was so obvious. She could easily kill him. After the Avatar, the Kyoshi Warriors and I, her own friends Mai and Ty Lee, and her brother . . . a man with burned hands meant nothing to her. He had planned to kill her. She had gone after people for lesser reasons in the past. Nothing I said was helping. She looked over her shoulder like I was next after she got done with Shen. That was the last thing I wanted to deal with. _Please don't fight me_, I thought. _Please don't fight me_.

"You didn't do anything wrong! This isn't your fault." I pleaded.

"Should that matter to me? You have to admit, he had a good point before. Everyone hates me- they fear me. Why should I disappoint them? Nothing will ever be different."

I felt like I was watching her change back into her old self. It was hopeless and frustrating at the same time.

"You're wrong!" I declared.

She shook her head and turned back to Shen.

"I know you're wrong," I said again. "Because I don't hate you. I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Her expression folded into a snarl as if it was the worst thing I could have said to her.

"Then you're a fool!" She shouted.

"What about Ty Lee? Is she a fool? She tried to tell me how you were different. She wanted me to give you a second chance. But I wasn't listening. I was too busy taking my anger out on you. I was wrong."

"That's very touching," she scoffed. Then she became very silent almost as if she was talking to herself. "It's better to be feared than loved."

"Do you really believe that? How well did that work the first time?"

She became indignant.

"I admit I might have made a few mistakes. But I'm a very fast learner. This time will be different. I won't be threatened by cowards! You-" She glared at Shen. "You will know the consequences of coming after me!"

Her words were wasted on Shen. He was already scared out of his mind. He was crying and sobbing and desperately wanted to be on solid ground. At that point, it might have been better if she killed him. I think she slowly realized that too and calmed down, if only a small bit.

"Azula, put him down," I said softly.

We stood in silence for a long time. The wind was the only noise at the top of the airship. Azula started to make all kinds of faces; rage, confusion, pain, amusement and more. Shen was close to screaming his lungs out. I watched helplessly. Azula was in control. If she wanted to throw Shen off the airship I couldn't stop her. The long wait became an eternity. And then she moved away from the edge and tossed Shen to the ground. I sighed in relief and collapsed to my knees out of exhaustion. This had been the worst day ever. I took a moment and then went over to Azula. She turned around with her eyes narrowed.

"So, uh . . . can you fly an airship?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and smirked.

Azula was able to land the ship back at the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace. When we came down the boarding ramp Suki and the other girls met us along with what felt like every soldier in the city. Zuko was there too along with a few Imperial Firebenders to attend to his sister. It was probably easier to say who wasn't in the crowd gathered around the airship. Suki and the others were eager to find out what happened. I was really too tired to explain everything that happened on that airship.

"I'm fine," I said for the millionth time. "I'm just exhausted."

"So how was flying?" Chie asked. "You know, with Azula and a bunch of criminals?"

Everyone laughed although I didn't find it that funny. We quieted down as Zuko came over to meet us. I hadn't seen him in a long time, but he looked like remembered with his Fire Lord robes and his shiny gold topknot piece. Surprisingly he turned to me and gave a respectful bow.

"Thank you for bringing my sister back." He turned to the others. "Thank you for everything. I know it must not have been easy to watch over Azula. It means a lot to me . . ."

"We know." Suki nodded.

Shen and the others working for him were brought off the ship and arrested. Fang and Coal went easily enough, but it took a team of soldiers to drag Nohi away. Shen was taken away last and stared at Zuko.

"What did that man want with my sister?" Zuko asked.

At first I hesitated to speak.

"It wasn't about her, really. He let his anger get the best of him." I answered.

"I see." Zuko seemed distant. "If you excuse me, I have something I need to do."

He went over to his sister and they began to talk. They moved far enough so we couldn't hear them, but it wasn't a conversation we had any business listening to. I was glad to be on the ground and have an opportunity to rest. Before I could look away, Zuko motioned to someone in the crowd. An older woman in Fire Nation robes stepped forward. Azula's cold stare melted away.

"Is that . . ." Aoi started.

Ty Lee nodded. "Zuko's mother."

Suddenly we were all staring at them. But Suki moved in front of us.

"Let's go girls, our work is done here."

"I guess so," I laughed softly.

More than likely we were going to leave Ba Sing Se soon. But I wasn't sad about that. My first visit to the Earth Kingdom capital was more than I could have ever expected.

I wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

Hopefully.

-The End

-Thank You for Reading!


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